One of the most prestigious Black churches in Washington D.C. has filed a lawsuit against members of the white supremacicst group the Proud Boys for allegedly burning the church’s Black Lives Matter sign.
The lawsuit was filed this week by Kristen Clarke, the head of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. It accuses the Proud Boys of attacking Metropolitan A.M.E. Church and “engaging in acts of terror and vandalizing church property in an effort to intimidate the Church and silence its support for racial justice.”
The Metropolitan A.M.E. Church is just one of the churches that was allegedly attacked by Trump supporters in D.C. during the December 12 protests. Video evidence taken outside A.M.E. shows men dressed in black and gold jumping the church’s fense and tearing down the BLM sign.
Clarke says she hopes the legal action will send a message to future groups looking to cause chaos. “The Proud Boys and other violent extremists must understand that they cannot unleash violence with impunity,” she said. “We are prepared to use the courts to hold them accountable and stand up for the institutions and people targeted by their racist actions.”
In a news release, Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, emphasized the importance of standing up to white supremacist groups. “We, the descendants of these extraordinary women and men of God, will not allow white supremacist violence to go unchecked by the laws of the land,” he stated. “On Jan. 4, 2021, I declare that we will be victorious against these white supremacists because God is with us, Jesus Christ is on our side, and our ancestors surround us. We are on the side of justice and justice will prevail.”
