Catholic church protests Trayvon Martin killing
CHICAGO (AP) — From pulpits to rallies, several black churches in Chicago joined the nationwide call for justice in protesting the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in Florida.
The Rev. Michael Pfleger spoke out about the death of Trayvon Martin during Mass at St. Sabina Catholic Church, a prominent black Catholic institution. Churchgoers wore hooded sweatshirts, as Martin was wearing when he was slain Feb. 26. After Mass, nearly 100 people attended a rally outside the church where youth from St. Sabina performed poems and songs.
“The church has to rise up and get out of its sanctuaries and get into the streets,” Pfleger said.
Pfleger also wore the hood of his vestment robe over his head and called for racial justice. Pfleger is a white priest in charge of a largely black church, and has long advocated against violence.
During Mass in Chicago, Pfleger challenged the idea that children wearing hoodies should be treated as suspicious. One congregant held a sign reading, “We are all Trayvon Martin.”
From the U.K. photos of viiolence after the verdict
