(CNN) Protesters attending a pro-Trump rally, including members of the far-right group the Proud Boys, prowled the streets of the nation's capital this past weekend. Some protesters, seeking to spread terror and hate, ripped "Black Lives Matters" signs off the fronts of two local churches and burned at least one in the street. They are historically Black churches -- storied institutions that have served as safe havens and centers of strength and hope for generations of Black families in Washington, DC. These attacks are modern-day cross burnings, intended to stoke fear among Black people nationwide. In 1894, from the pulpit of one of the targeted churches -- Metropolitan AME Church, just five blocks from the White House -- Frederick Douglass heralded a dire warning about White supremacist mob violence.

Source: CNN December 17, 2020 11:15 UTC