While people took to the streets in Alameda, California, to protest, an ICE agent acted irrationally, in a rash abuse of power. His actions left a clergyman at serious risk, a move that gave the impression of an attack on religion, especially since similar incidents have occurred before. In a video posted on Reddit (see that link), several protesters were seen holding placards near the United States Coast Guard Base.
The caption of the video read, “Clergyman hit in the face with a projectile during a protest in Oakland,” explaining the situation at hand. While some protesters held signs, others carried media equipment to record the moment. Among them was a man dressed in clerical attire, holding his placard, which read, “No ICE or troops in thee Bay,” when an ICE agent suddenly approached and fired tear gas directly at his mouth. Affected by the impact, the priest scurried away while coughing heavily.
Fuming with anger, viewers flooded the comments. “This is a great representation of Trump’s America,” one person blasted. Another mocked, “Did he piss his pants, or is he so excited he leaked a little?” referencing the wet stain seen on the crotch area of the police officer’s pants. One user added grimly, “Bloodshed is inevitable. The liberal approach will not stop this. If it could, we wouldn’t be here.”
Highlighting how intentional the act seemed, another person wrote, “You shoot one priest in the head with a less-than-lethal round, maybe you could say wrong time, wrong place. You shoot a second priest in the head with an LTL round? That’s starting to look deliberate. Could you imagine the screams of outrage about ‘Christians being under fire’ if this had happened under Biden? … But now, crickets from the right.” Another user stated bluntly, “ICE is a terrorist organization.”
Someone else questioned, “When will Christians realize Trump is the Antichrist? That he’s just pretending to be Christian but doesn’t take it seriously at all?” Another commenter fumed, comparing ICE agents to beasts, writing, “I have seen wild animals with more discipline than these ICE officers.”
This video surfaced just days after ICE was also seen attacking a church and preventing members from taking communion. As reported by The Nerd Stash, the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, a grassroots organization founded on Catholic and Christian beliefs – had attempted to provide communion to detainees held at a Chicago detention center. They were, however, stopped by ICE agents, who went as far as barricading the area and turning the clergy away.
Both incidents have left a lasting impression on the public, painting ICE as an organization increasingly seen as being against religion.
