Three men were arrested after interrupting Easter mass on Saturday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.after they reached the altar with a banner that said “Silence = Death.”
Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza flooded New York City’s most iconic cathedral, disrupting an Easter mass Saturday night and throwing the quiet scene into disarray.
The information was confirmed by the group Extinction Rebellion NYC (XR NYC), which organized the protest event and which defines itself as a group of activists in defense of the environment and against genocide, which published a statement on social networks this Sunday.
The statement is accompanied by a video that shows the moment in which cathedral security personnel remove the banner and remove them from the altar, pushing them until they are expelled from the church through a side door.
Horrified spectators remained in their pews as the group was led outside.. Some stood up, while others pointed their mobile phones at the commotion, as cameras rolled.
One protester, identified only as Matthew M., said he believed churches calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza could “make a difference.”
Since the start of the war in the Middle East, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for peace and denounced massive civilian casualties.
Before the start of Holy Week, andThe group called for prayer in the Middle East and an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Extinction Rebellion is a climate justice movement founded in the United Kingdom that is committed to “nonviolent direct action.”
Furthermore, shortly before, a demonstration was held in Times Square that brought together a large number of pro-Palestinian people demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“We are here to speak the truth about ‘ecocide’ and genocide as loudly as this moment requires,” John Mark Rozendaal of XR NYC’s Palestine Solidarity shouted in the church, according to local media.
Today’s statement further notes that “war, occupation and industrial pollution are poisoning the soil.”the air and water in Gaza and across the planet, destroying the Earth’s ability to support life.”
“This destruction is called ‘ecocide,’” said Gregory Schwedock of Palestine Solidarity at XR NYC.
The group also indicated on the social network that the UN Security Council’s call for a ceasefire is “a good start,” but “the churches’ statements on the ceasefire are also part of the solution.”
In December 2023, Extinction Rebellion disrupted a mass in Turin, Italy, as protesters cited writings by Pope Francis on the environment.
Archbishop Roberto Repole issued a statement after the incident, saying he had “great esteem for those who mobilize for the defense of creation and accept the calls of Pope Francis.”
However, Repole said that he “regrets that they decided to speak in the Duomo without first wanting to talk to me and asking me if they could intervene.”
*With information from EFE.
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