Chick-fil-A Protests Proliferate

Demonstrators continue to plan a protest for the Sept. 20 opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Walnut Creek as activism flares at various spots around the country.

In Walnut Creek, a Facebook public event for the Walnut Creek opening lists 316 Facebook joiners as "going" (to the Thursday, Sept. 20 protest) and 184 as maybes. Protesters are decrying the company's funding of anti-gay marriage groups.

Other incidents of Chick-fil-A activism:

• In Santa Clara County, a Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open its first Bay Area store in Sunnyvale Thursday. A Facebook public event is asking activists to protest the opening.
• In Los Angeles County, a Hollywood artist was arrested and booked on suspicion of defacing a Torrance Chick-fil-A with the words, "Tastes Like Hate."
• In North Carolina, Davidson College has decided to stop serving Chick-fil-A because of the company's funding of anti-gay groups, the Huffington Post reported. Students had petitioned against Chick-fil-A.
• In New Hampshire, there was an attempt at reconciliation when a Chick-fil-A franchise owner announced support and donations of food for the New Hampshire Pride Fest..

Chick-fil-A is making a move in Northern California, including the opening of a franchise with drive-through service on 2750 N. Main St., Walnut Creek. It's part of a big construction project with a new 24-Hour Fitness at that location.

A Patch poll on our last story on this topic showed a pretty even split among three choices:

• Fourteen voted for "The company president's statement was divisive. Boycott the new restaurant in Walnut Creek."
• Thirteen over for "Let the Chik-fil-A president have his say: freedom of speech."
• Ten voted for "Gay rights protesters are having their say. So are the traditional family advocates in Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. All is well."

And if you're most interested in a chuckle about the situation, don't miss the John Goodman video about chicken cultural wars. Goodman plays the late chicken entrepreneur, Colonel Sanders.