Worthy Christian News > US News > Peaceful prayer rally and violent protests in Washington D.C.

Peaceful prayer rally and violent protests in Washington D.C.

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A peaceful prayer rally in Washington DC was usurped Saturday by rioters causing violence and chaos, Christian Headlines reports. The “Let The Church Roar” prayer event was held on the same day as several other DC protest rallies attended by President Trump supporters alleging voter fraud in the November 3 election result.

Aerial video evidence showed that the “Let the Church Roar,” event took place peacefully, with speakers including retired U.S. Lt. General Michael Flynn, who was recently pardoned by Trump, Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author Eric Metaxas, and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, Christian Headlines reports.

However, as the sun set, clashes between Trump supporters and counter-protestors took place. As a result, at least one person was stabbed and 33 people were arrested: the various charges included 10 assaults on police officers, one assault with a deadly weapon, 11 simple assaults, four riotous acts, and two weapons violations, Christian Headlines said.

In one incident captured on widely-shared Twitter videos, a band of men, identified by the conservative Daily Caller as belonging to the far-right Proud Boys group, converged outside the historic African American Asbury United Methodist Church and tore down a Black Lives Matter sign with the church’s logo on it. The sign was set on fire as the crowd began to “cheer and chant expletive-ridden anthems,” Religion News reported. According to Reuters, some 200 Proud Boys attended marches near Trump hotel, many of whom wore combat fatigues, black and yellow shirts, and ballistic vests and used hand signals adopted by white nationalists.

Thousands of people took part in Saturday’s marches, demanding “free and fair” elections, alleging that Democrats have stolen the election from President Trump. Nevertheless, Republican and Democrat judges, and officials from both parties, have dismissed dozens of claims by the Trump campaign alleging fraud in multiple states. Last week the US Supreme Court, including the three Trump-appointed justices, dismissed a bid brought by the state of Texas and 17 other Republican-run states to overturn the election results in four states. On Monday 14 December, Fox News reported, the Electoral College voted and formally confirmed President-Elect Joe Biden’s election victory.