In a recent incident at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, three pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested for disrupting an Easter Vigil Mass. The individuals unfurled a banner and shouted 'Free Palestine!' during the service, leading to their arrest for disruption of a religious service.
The protesters, identified as Gregory Schwedock, John Rozendaal, and Matthew Menzies, were taken into custody at the scene without incident. Video footage captured the moment when the banner with the message 'Silence = Death' was displayed near the altar, causing a brief disruption during the service led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
The climate activist group Extinction Rebellion claimed responsibility for the stunt, stating that their activists demand action against genocide and ecocide. They highlighted the impact of war, occupation, and industrial pollution on Gaza and the planet, emphasizing the need for justice and peace.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had previously called for prayer for peace in the Middle East and an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict. St. Patrick’s Cathedral has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
This is not the first time Schwedock, one of the arrested protesters, has been involved in disruptive activism. He was previously taken into custody for disrupting a U.S. Open tennis match last September.
