Hundreds of young Christians took to the streets Friday and Saturday in protest as Lady Gaga arrived in Manila for the latest leg of her Asian tour, the Associated Press reports.
The protesters, members of a group called Biblemode Youth Philippines, are calling for the cancellation of the pop star's concerts in the majority Roman Catholic country. "She declared a distorted view toward Jesus Christ and for us Biblical Christians it is offensive," protest leader Ruben Abante told the AP. "Her music and everything about her is different from what our values are."
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball has been beset by similar incidents throughout Asia. After Christian groups complained about her racy lyrics and costumes in Seoul, South Korea, authorities banned fans younger than 18 from attending the tour's kickoff show. Gaga was then forced to cancel her sold-out June 3rd appearance in Jakarta, Indonesia, when she was denied a concert permit following objections from Islamic hard-liners.
The Manila concerts, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, were approved by authorities in the Philippines – with some caveats.
"Although we respect artistic and musical expressions, I won’t allow anyone or any group to provide acts which may be questionable in a way at any venue under my jurisdiction," the mayor of Pasay City, part of Metropolitan Manila, said in a statement. "We reminded the producers of Lady Gaga’s concert that the show and the event as a whole shall not exhibit any nudity or lewd conduct which may be offensive to morals and good customs."
The Biblemode Youth Philippines group plans to hold a vigil near the concert venue starting on Sunday.