"I repeat, what business does anyone have to insist that a crowd of people pay respect to someone they have no direct relationship with. That respect must be offered, not solicited.
I think such an announcement, if it really happened was outrageous.
This thread sounds like a troll."

On the contrary, for once (to my great surprise) I think it is Robomatic who is trolling.

I would have no problem in standing for a silent minute to remember those who are hungry, those whose lives are threatened by tsunamis. I will stand for far more than a minute on a day when the holocaust is remembered and on "Remembrance day". I'm not a fan of the Pope and I'm not a Roman Catholic but I would stand for a minute out of respect of the millions who mourn his loss.

The loutish behaviour of those six people was just that. It was loutish. If they claim to have done it because of their Protestantism then they shame the Protestant faith.

You say "It sounds like people quite rightly taking offense to the misuse of an announcing system." Wrong. It sounds like people who are so crassly biggoted that they are unable to respect other people's views. It's like people who would jeer at a passing funeral, or who would tear up and burn the Stars and Stripes on thanksgiving day, or who would yell antisemitic slogans at service of remembrance for the holocaust.

Frank L.
(Sadly because I have always thought that Robomatic was one of the good guys.)