Obscene messages in spray paint on the building found by responding officers were not related to the anti-LGBTQ teachings, Reynoso said. The detonation was powerful enough to break a window in a neighboring structure, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told The Post. Researchers at the Southern Poverty Law Center have classified the church as one of 70 hate groups in the country that promote anti-LGBTQ sentiments. An online petition by Keep El Monte Friendly, a group that organized the protests against First Works Baptist Church, to expel the church from El Monte has received more than 15,000 signatures. Those talks included the city and county, Alma Martinez, El Monte city manager, told the Los Angeles Times.

Source: Washington Post January 23, 2021 23:37 UTC