SPOKANE, Wash. — About 100 members of Spokane’s faith community gathered at St. John’s Cathedral today for a vigil and protest to support immigrant communities and local religious leaders who traveled to Minnesota to join protests against recent ICE activity.
The group MARCH asked faith leaders across the country to make a “pilgrimage” to Minnesota amid recent ICE activity in Minneapolis. MARCH stands for Multi Faith Antiracism Faith and Healing.
Spokane sent about a dozen faith leaders to join the Minnesota protests.
“The reason we decided to gather today is because faith leaders in Minneapolis are putting themselves on the line. It is a very scary situation,” said Jim Castrolang, a United Church of Christ ordained minister.
The service was split into two parts. Act 1, as the Cathedral called it, was a vigil to pray for the people in Minneapolis. Act 2 was a “sign wave” to protest against the ICE activity, with most signs calling ICE “cruel” and “corrupt.”
One woman, who was visiting from Oregon, attended the protest.
“We need to come together, come out of isolation, come out of a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness and learn how to be active citizens. And part of humanity and part of our country,” said Stephanie Hill, a protester visiting from Oregon.
The service was organized on short notice with only two days to prepare.
“It provides a moral compass for a lot of people. For what is right and wrong and for what we stand for in our community, and what we don’t,” said Brianna, one of the organizers for the event.
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