This Saturday along with millions of people around the nation, I will participate in the No Kings protest. Trump administration officials have labled the protesters as un-Amercian. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson put it this way:
They have a ‘Hate America’ rally that’s scheduled for Oct. 18… It’s all the pro-Hamas wing and, you know, the ANTIFA people.
This is obviously an inaccurate and unfair characterization of those of us who choose to peacefully protest the dehmanizing policies and actions of an increasingly authoritarian regime. Yet this kind of distorted name calling is not new. Dr. King and the thousand of people who put their lives on the line during the Civil Rights Movement were labeled by their opponents as “traitors, outside agitators, and communistis.” The witness of their faith based nonviolent protests and direct actions resulted in significant changes that moved our nation closer to our founding principles of liberty and justice for all. Those of us who gather on Saturday are in good company. Far from being un-American, peaceful protest is a form of patriotism that calls our nation to live up to our highest ideals. As a follower of Jesus, I also see this as a form of discipleship. The Way of Jesus’ nonviolent self-sacrifical love calls us to honor the image of God in all people and to resist the kind of traumatic dehumanization we see in videos of ICE raids in cities and towns throughout the country. Chicago has been the scene of some of the most recent horrific videos. It is also the scene of nonviolent faith based protest from disciples of Jesus both lay and clergy. They are powerful witnesses of the Way of Jesus as well as being in good company with their predecesors in the Civil Rights Movement.
The first video posted below features an insightful analysis of the distorted characterization of those who will participate in Saturday’s No Kings protest. The second video features pastors in Chicago who have been protesting the ICE raids that have traumatized so many in that city. One of the pastors gained nationwide attention because of a video showing him being struck in the head with a projectile fired by a federal agent while the pastor was praying as part of his protest.