Vandals tore down and defaced “Black Lives Matter” banners at the New Jersey Unitarian Universal Church at Cherry Hill and the Nevada Unitarian Church, adding to the numerous other attacks on churches in wake of the BLM movement.
“Black Lives Matter” banners were spray-painted to read “all lives” or “white lives” matter at the Nevada church. The incidents earlier this month brings the vandalism tally to eight since August, according to a NBC Nevada affiliate report.
“We’re very much committed to racial justice in the long haul,” Rev. Christian Schmidt previously told NJ Advance Media. “It’s certainly not going to stop us from talking. If they want to return that banner too, that’d be great.”
In New Jersey, the Cherry Hill Church was preparing the community for a Feb. 25 discussion on race at the church when it was vandalized.
“We got a new one after the last one was stolen and just put it up a few days ago,” said church administrator for the Cherry Hill church Christie McLean, who added that police were still outside investigating ahead of Sunday’s 10 a.m. service.
The recent events of vandalism will not deter the community’s efforts to reach out to one another. The Cherry Hill church has lost an estimated $100 for its banners, according to NJ.com. The Reno area church has lost nearly $400 for the recurring acts of vandalism.
These types of anti-Black Lives Matter protests have occurred nationwide over the last two years. Thugs have terrorized churches in Boston, Arlington, Virginia, and Phoenix.
