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National Faith Leader Salutes the “Wall of Mothers” Standing Against Police Brutality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 23, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT

Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202) 735-7123

Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org, (540) 280-3393

Washington, D.C. — The Wall of Mothers in Portland, Oregon, is putting their bodies on the line in protest against federal officers that have been deployed in the city after months of protests. Federal, state and local police have committed acts of brutality such as tear-gassing peaceful protesters.

Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO of Faith in Public Life:

“Mothers in Portland are showing up for Black Lives. While the Trump administration is unleashing fascism and authoritarianism in response to protest, they are fighting back. By linking arms, lifting their voices and not backing down, they are forcing the nation to pay attention to the chilling secret police that have invaded their home.

Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Asian mothers have stood at the frontlines of protests and movements for centuries. They have long led the battle cry against violence, oppression, dehumanization, and colonization in their communities. The Wall of Mothers in Portland is just the latest example of what happens when women of all faiths, colors and creeds gather in solidarity and speak out against injustice. When women lead, moral progress is inevitable.

As a mom and pastor, I look to the example of Mary, another mother unwilling to accept the status quo. She was a mother who said yes to a revolution beginning in her womb, whose son, Jesus, was killed at the hands of the state, and who announced a God who throws tyrants from their thrones. May we all, like the mothers before us, hear the moral call of justice and act.”

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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, we are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level. Our network of 50,000 leaders engage in bold moral action that affirms our values and the human dignity of all.

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