Los Angeles merchants seek to save 10-foot cross, Nativity scene in city’s historic center

A group of merchants in Los Angeles is seeking to join a federal lawsuit in defense of a historic cross and Nativity display in the city’s nearly-300-year-old center.

The disputed public displays are located within sight of each other at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, which has long been marked as a historical monument commemorating the founding of the city in 1781. The site was first established by settlers from Spain known as “los pobladores.”

The cross is displayed year-round at the head of Olvera Street, while the Nativity is displayed about 150 feet away in a gazebo in the site’s plaza every Christmas season.

The Olvera Street Cross stands at the head of Olvera Street near the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument in Los Angeles. | Credit: Becket

Los Angeles resident Jack Gerritsen sued the city government alleging that the displays violate the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids federal and state government entities from favoring specific religions.

Gerritsen alleged that the displays make him “feel excluded as a nonbeliever.” A U.S. district court initially ruled against him, leading him to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for…