"My responsibility was to make sure that parishioners, who were frequently too afraid to leave their homes, could worship together in relative safety. With liturgical vestments - for myself, a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) - draped over our many layers of winter clothing, plastic whistles around our necks, and gas masks at hand, just in case, we buddied up for safety and stationed ourselves on the various street corners around the church."
"We hoped that our presence as white faith leaders might deter ICE from appearing on this particular day-or that we might at least be able to warn the parishioners if we saw ICE vehicles approaching the church. As services concluded, we walked people to their cars or nearby homes so that if, God forbid, they were snatched up, their families could be immediately informed, volunteering lawyers activated, and video documentation of the kidnapping uploaded to the site created by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office."
"It wasn't the first time I had done this sort of "protective presence." Staying for a month or two at a time in the West Bank city of Hebron, I used to spend each weekday morning and afternoon accompanying children to and from schools to protect them from Israeli soldiers. Just as in Minnesota-wherefive-year-old Luis Ramos was snatched out of his father'"
A faith leader with extended West Bank experience identifies occupation-like conditions in Minnesota due to aggressive ICE activity. The leader joined Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing (MARCH) after nonviolent training, trust-building, rallying, marching, and direct action to provide protective presence at a dual-language church. Volunteers wore liturgical vestments, tallit, whistles, and gas masks, stationed on street corners to deter or warn of ICE, escorted worshippers to cars and homes, and coordinated immediate family notification, volunteer lawyers, and video documentation with Minnesota Attorney General resources. The practice is compared to earlier accompaniment of children in Hebron.
Read at The Nation
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