Gini Gerbasi, rector of a different St. John’s Episcopal Church in the city, told HuffPost that she and seminarian Julia Joyce Domenick were tear-gassed and driven off of church property by police. For “operational security reasons,” the Secret Service declined to answer HuffPost’s questions about how and why the faith leaders were cleared from church property. The U.S. Park Police did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on whether clergy were tear-gassed and driven from church property. “That was a moment when I thought, ‘I cannot believe this is happening.’”AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster St. John's Episcopal Church covered in spray paint after protests. The White House declined to say if Trump believes the faith leaders’ removal from church property infringes on their religious rights.

Source: Huffington Post June 02, 2020 16:50 UTC