Handful of protesters rip Quran pages in front of White House

Half a dozen protesters, including anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, ripped pages from a Quran outside the White House on Saturday, according to a wire report.

Agence France-Presse reported that the small group consisted of conservative Christians.

"Part of why we're doing that, please hear me: the charade that Islam is a peaceful religion must end," Terry said.

Andrew Beacham, who described hismself as a Tea Party leader from Indiana, issued a release Saturday saying that a "large group of Tea Party and Religious rights activists will gather in front of the White House to tear out egregious passages from the Quran that call for violence against Christians and Jews."

According to AFP, Beacham read the passages and then ripped the pages out, putting the torn pieces in a plastic bag.

"The only reason I will not burn it at the White House is because to burn anything on the Capitol grounds is a felony," he said.

The wire service said police took down names but did not intervene.