Religious Groups to Protest

August 6, 2000

Source: Los Angeles Times

On August 6, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that "religious groups across Southern California are planning interfaith protests on a host of issues--police brutality, juvenile justice, immigrant rights and the death penalty" at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. "Roman Catholics, Jews, Methodists and Episcopalians will join for many of the planned worship services, marches and rallies to express strength and solidarity and to exercise what they consider a moral obligation to speak out. From praying for prisoners on California's death row to mourning the deaths of people who died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexican border illegally, most of the groups will be advocating left-wing positions that the Democrats--eager to appeal to centrist voters--have kept out of the convention's formal activities. 'We are ordinary citizens trying to speak out on these issues that we can't vote on. We are not here to crucify anyone. We are called to be people who proclaim life, not death,' said Eric DeBode, a member of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, one of the groups helping to organize the protests."