The Lancaster County-based Mennonite Central Committee urged its Facebook followers to join the group in Minnesota on Friday for a 'massive day of social action.'
The Mennonite Central Committee, a branch of the pacifist Mennonite faith group, is drawing fire for taking part in peaceful protest in Minnesota against the immigration crackdown that has turned violent and even deadly.
A historically and fundamentally pacifist Christian faith group with deep roots in Pennsylvania is drawing angry pushback on social media for participating in protests in Minnesota against federal immigration officials. In its Facebook post, the Lancaster County-based Mennonite Central Committee urged its Facebook followers to join the group in Minnesota on Friday for“Many are opting out of work and school to take part in a march and economic pause,” read the post, which was accompanied by a photo. “Faith leaders from across the U.S. are flying in to attend and will play a crucial role in highlighting the message of hospitality and love of neighbor. “Local Mennonite churches and members of Mennonite Action will be on the ground, no doubt displaying their trademark colorful signs and banners. In solidarity with our friends in Minnesota, and especially those who are most vulnerable.” The faith group garnered positive comments such as the one posted by Kathy Wagle: “Thank you for following God’s command to love your neighbor as yourself,” and by Jonathan Garcia Giesbrecth: “Leviticus 19:33-34 | When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”I am so disappointed in this post, God has always had rules and laws. We need to be supporting ice and praying for their safety. They are removing illegal immigrants and most of them have prison records.” Linda Espanshade, a spokeswoman for MCC, said the call to join the protest had been made by an arm of the organization, not MCC itself. “MCC is not, as an organization, involved in the protests, in the demonstrations, or in civil disobedience,” she said. “That’s not something we’re doing as an organization.” Espanshade said that the Facebook message was posted by the organization’s national Peace and Justice office, “encouraging people to contact their legislators, to pray and to pay attention to this situation.” “There are, from what I understand from that same post, other Mennonite groups who are taking an active part, but as our organization, Mennonite Central Committee, that’s not something that we are doing as an organization,” Espanshade said. MCC is a global, nonprofit organization, that bills itself as striving to “share God’s love and compassion for all through relief, development and peacebuilding.” The history of Mennonites in the U.S. is rooted in Pennsylvania; The faith community traces its origins to German-speaking Anabaptists seeking religious freedom in the 18th century. Mennonites adhere to nonviolence as a core tenet of their faith and base their activism in social justice and nonresistance on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Mennonites have shaped the faith landscape in Pennsylvania, particularly in Lancaster County and the Big Valley and range from integrated members of modern society to conservative “Plain” groups . Members of the Mennonite faith have historically led relief efforts for communities impacted by disasters as well as advocating for justice and peace. This file photo from 2022 shows Mennonite volunteers helping relief efforts to assist families disposed at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky. In recent years, Mennonites have joined relief programs to help victims of natural disasters, including floods and hurricanes. They have been providing emergency relief to families in Gaza as well as assistingIn its post on Friday, MCC noted that across the country, “federal agents have descended on local communities to conduct violent and indiscriminate actions under the guise of ‘immigration enforcement,’ a marked expansion of the militarization long suffered by borderlands communities.” The surge of ICE agents in Minneapolis since December “has created a chaotic environment, violated the rights and dignity of community members, separated families, and tragically resulted in the killing of legal observer Renee Nicole Good.” Federal agents shot and killed another Minneapolis resident on Saturday, stoking tensions between federal law enforcement officers and protesters. Authorities said Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive-care nurse at the VA, was pronounced dead on the scene. The New York Times reported that contrary to the accounts of federal officials, Pretti was holding a cell phone in his hand and not a weapon. MCC noted that local Mennonite churches and members of Mennonite Action would be part of the day of action in Minneapolis on Friday, which resulted in a day of nonviolent protest. MCC said that in “solidarity with our friends in Minnesota, and especially those who are most vulnerable,” it was urging followers to:“In this critical moment, thank you for your continued advocacy on behalf of your immigrant neighbors!,” MCC wrote in its post.Ivey DeJesus is a professional journalist with more than 25 years of experience. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, The Associated Press and the Pennsylvania Newspaper...
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