While the mayor and others have criticized the display as intentionally provocative, proponents contend they aim to promote rational thought, not denigrate Christianity.

A dark, horned figure with a goat’s head stands in front of the New Hampshire State House. It’s a holiday display installed by The Satanic Temple — near the city of Concord’s Nativity scene, according to the city’s Dec. 7 Facebook post.

On Tuesday morning, Rep. Ellen Read, a Newmarket Democrat, was picking up the pieces of the vandalized goat-headed figure, three days after it was first unveiled on Main Street in Concord.

City officials said they had to decide “whether to ban all holiday displays” and opted instead to grant a permit for the Satanic display “to avoid litigation.”

Concord said “to avoid litigation,” they had to choose between banning all holiday displays installed or allowing the Satanist's monument.

New Hampshire's state capitol was forced to allow a Satanic "holiday display" under the threat of a free speech lawsuit before vandals tore it down. The Salem, Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple installed the display at the Concord City Hall Plaza across from the State House,

The city of Concord calls the decision to allow the Satanic Temple’s statue to go up a ‘show of unity and religious pluralism.’