WASHINGTON — Two weeks after President Donald Trump posed for a photo op in front of St. John's Church, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde invited other interfaith leaders to hold a joint prayer vigil at the church Sunday.
Bishop Budde felt the way the President went about the picture was a "crime."
“The crime was the dispersal of a peaceful crowd, with all of the symbolism of the American government and military," she said.
Previous WUSA9 reporting shows that law enforcement deployed flash bangs and gas, similar to -- if not -- tear gas, to clear out protesters before President Trump posed in front of the church.
Officials have denied the use of tear gas, but the Secret Service admitted Saturday that one of its members used pepper spray, but said it was "in response to an assaultive individual."
“It was a significant miscalculation on the part of the president that he would be seen as a blessing given the nature of his tone and his response to the suffering of our people," Bishop Budde said.
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She said now they want to shift focus back to the people.
“We’re tired of the nation’s racist ideology," Rev. Dr. James Victor, Vice President of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia said. "But, this fatigue that plagues us now is not an exhaustive fatigue, but it is a fatigue that energizes us to pursue peace and justice.”
Leaders affiliated with Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and multiple sects of Christianity, shared similar messages, which resonated with people like Kristina Gadiaga and her two teenage daughters.
“It means everything to us because we have such a diverse family. We have Christians. We have Muslims in our family, so diversity is really important for us," Gadiaga said. "I think it is mandatory for religious leaders to come forward and speak about the importance of love and equality for all human beings. It’s now. We have to change.”
Her daughters said they were inspired to join the protests on Black Lives Matter Plaza, on Sunday.
“[You] could be any color in the world, but you still matter," 14-year-old Zahina Gadiaga said. "You’re still human.”