The National City Christian Church raised a massive banner on the front of their church early Wednesday morning, hours before the protests began.
The National Council of Churches announced the The National City Christian Church’s display via Facebook on Tuesday evening, saying:
National City Christian Church says it will unveil a 16-foot Black Lives Matter banner on Wednesday, the same day Congress is set to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and the same day pro-Trump supporters say they will protest the results.
In an official statement, the church itself declared the display a “response to ongoing fearmongering and racial hatred.” The banners replaced a display of “South Carolina Poet Laureate, Marjory Wentworth’s poem, One Hundred Thousand Names, responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic.”
“As followers of Jesus Christ, we reject the president’s call to violence and continue to proclaim that Black Lives Matter,” Interim Senior Minister, Reverend Dr. Amy Butler, wrote. “We oppose the ideals of white supremacy and white Christian nationalism, and declare that our church will continue to be a place of peace and healing.”
Later, Dr. Butler posted a personal video as well. “There’s a lot of press here,” she said, adding that there were “a lot” of people and clergy walking to the starting point of a social justice march and gathering across the street for a prayer vigil. “There’s a great presence here, in terms of spiritual presence,” she continued, confirming that afterward, they would leave the city to keep things “safe” in light of the — now confirmed — fear of violent demonstration as Vice President Mike Pence prepared to confirm the final results of the 2020 presidential election.
Butler also expressed gratitude that both local authorities and the national guard are “dedicated” to protecting the church. On Monday, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department charged Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio with the destruction of property after he admitted he was among those who burned a similar banner last month. After being further charged with the illegal possession of two high-capacity magazines, D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered Tarrio to leave D.C. on Tuesday until his June hearing,
The NCCC characterized previous vandalism of Black Lives Matter displays as “acts of racial hatred” performed by “purveyors of hate and violent intimidation.” At approximately 3:30 p.m., as rioting overtook the capitol, the church posted a brief, simple message: “Lord, in your mercy.”
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