A satanic "black mass" due to be held at the prestigious Harvard University has been forced to cancel after a widespread public outcry.
The Harvard Extensions Cultural Studies Club were forced to find alternative arrangements for its event after around 60,000 people signed online petitions protesting the black mass - despite the university giving it the go ahead. However negotiations completely broke down and the club has cancelled the service.
The black mass would have consisted of a parody of the Roman Catholic mass, although organisers had insisted no consecrated wafer or wine would have been used. The New York-based Satanic Temple, who were travelling to Boston to attend the ceremony, have now planned to stage their own black mass at an "undisclosed private location", MyFoxBoston reports.
The poster advertising the black mass
A black mass is a ritual traditionally used by the satanism religion and celebrated during the Witches' Sabbath - a meeting of those who practice witchcraft.