Organizers of a group protesting President Obama’s commencement appearance at the University of Notre Dame didn’t show up at 10 a.m. for a rally that drew five local residents outside the Allen County Courthouse.

Joseph Landry, coordinator for Stop Obama Notre Dame, said "a major snafu" prevented him from arriving on time from South Bend. He would not elaborate.

Three of the local protesters said they are Catholics who are against the president’s record on abortion and his invitation to speak at Notre Dame. Two said they are peace activists who oppose Obama’s continuation of war efforts.

Landry said he arrived after 11 a.m. with three other demonstrators. He said he wore an Obama mask and had red paint on his hands, and the small group waved at passing cars for about 45 minutes.

Landry said most local residents had left by the time his group arrived.

None of the locals who came to demonstrate wore costumes.

Tom Federspiel of Fort Wayne, who carried a sign reading "Pray," said he regularly participates in vigils outside a Fort Wayne abortion provider.

He said he attended today’s protest because of opposition to Obama’s appearance voiced last month by Bishop John M. D’Arcy, head of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. "That inspired me," he said.

Peace activist Tim Tiernan, who carried a sign reading "Peace is Pro-Life," said he objected to people concerned about abortion not objecting to killing people in the war in Iraq.

"If (you’re) going to call yourself pro-life, you can’t go a la carte," he said, adding he participates in peace demonstrations at the courthouse on the first Saturday of each month.

Betty Olry of Fort Wayne said she attended "because this is Good Friday and Jesus was innocent and spilled his blood for us, and abortion kills the innocent unborn, so their blood is on our hands. We should stand up for the innocent."

On Thursday, a spokesman for the diocese called the demonstration ill-timed because it coincided with Good Friday, which he said is "a sacred time" that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.

Landry, who said demonstrators with him carried signs reading, "Would you invite Pilate after he condemned Christ" and "ND: Thank you for confirming me," said the timing was deliberate.

"We honor this day an innocent man, (Jesus), killed by Pilate. And we are honoring the children who are being killed because of the new Pilate, Obama," he said in a telephone interview after leaving the demonstration.

"We will stand vigil and not turn our back on these children, and that is the problem with the Catholic Church today…. They’re not making the connection and not treating this like it's murder."

Stop Obama Notre Dame was organized by Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, a national group opposed to abortion rights. Stop Obama is circulating an online petition to remove the Rev. John I. Jenkins as Notre Dame president and to have Obama’s appearance at the May 17 commencement canceled. The number of petition signatures has not been disclosed.

rsalter@jg.net