St. John's, Lafayette Square

I have lived in D.C. for two separate periods, first working for Ralph Nader and then for the Institute for Social Justice. The second time I lived within walking distance of the White House and I was often in Lafayette Square. For those of you who don't know the south side of the White House grounds is extensive, but the north side of the building is close to Pennsylvania Ave. and Lafayette Square is a public park on the other side of the street. Obviously, it is more or less perpetually a site of protest. St. John's church is on the north side of the square, opposite the White House.

On Monday night the church's pastor, Gini Gerbasi was hosting several clergy and lay people, many from other churches and other denominations, who were providing water and snacks to protesters, and offering a place for respite. They connected with a medical team from Black Lives Matter who they allowed to set up an aid station on their grounds. Here is Rev. Gerbasi's account of what happened.

There were of course many journalists present, and they all confirm her account. The protest was entirely peaceful. Then, just as the White House resident was delivering a speech threatening to invoke an 1807 law to unleash the military on U.S. citizens, federal law enforcement agents attacked the protesters in the square with tear gas, rubber bullets, and truncheons, then they attacked  the priest and her colleagues and drove them from the church  -- yes, they drove the priest from her own church with tear gas -- so that the resident could walk across the square and pose for a photograph. This act was illegal, but that's largely beside the point. Rev. Gerbasi resorted to all caps:

I literally COULD NOT believe it. WE WERE DRIVEN OFF OF THE PATIO AT ST. JOHN'S - a place of peace and respite and medical care throughout the day - SO THAT MAN COULD HAVE A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH!!! PEOPLE WERE HURT SO THAT HE COULD POSE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH WITH A BIBLE! HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO STEP OVER THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES WE LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE WE WERE BEING TEAR GASSED!!!!  . . .

The patio of St. John's, Lafayette square had been HOLY GROUND today. A place of respite and laughter and water and granola bars and fruit snacks. But that man turned it into a BATTLE GROUND first, and a cheap political stunt second. I am DEEPLY OFFENDED on behalf of every protestor, every Christian, the people of St. John's, Lafayette square, every decent person there, and the BLM medics who stayed with just a single box of supplies and a backpack, even when I got too scared and had to leave. I am ok. But I am now a force to be reckoned with. 

Oh yeah -- he's a hero to millions of "Christians." I am an atheist, but I was raised a Christian. My uncle was the pastor of Trinity Church in Branford, Connecticut, where my mother taught Sunday School. I was taught a version of Christianity that is utterly opposed to violence, oppression,  and arrogance;  and affirms the worth and dignity of every person.

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

And there's this. That's an Australian news camera operator.

That's what a Christian man ordered so that he could be photographed holding a Bible.