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The pastor of the First Works Baptist Church drew condemnation.
The FBI and local authorities are investigating an explosion and vandalism at a Southern California church known for its controversial pastor and anti-LGBT views.
The First Works Baptist Church in El Monte, Calif., Just east of downtown Los Angeles, was rocked by an explosion early in the morning on Saturday, according to the FBI. Responding to the scene just after 1 a.m. local time, smoke was coming out of the windows and the exterior of the church was covered in graffiti, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
“It appeared that the walls of the church had been vandalized as well as all the windows,” El Monte police lieutenant Christopher Cano said on Saturday. “[The windows] appeared to have been smashed at first, then we realized the windows weren’t shattered, that they had actually exploded from some type of explosion. “
The FBI called the explosion an “IED attack” and said bomb technicians were at the scene to investigate.
No one was injured in the blast, police said.
The First Works Baptist Church and its pastor, Bruce Mejia, have developed a reputation for inflammatory language, characterized by many as hate speech. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, called the First Works Baptist Church a hate group in 2019 for its anti-LGBT stance.
An online petition asking the mayor of El Monte to force the First Works Baptist Church out of town has garnered more than 15,000 signatures.
In reports and on social media, Mejia strongly opposes gay marriage. He has also used his social media accounts to repeatedly mock President Joe Biden and is strongly against vaccinations, regularly sharing memes rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine.
In comments to the New York Times after the explosion, Mejia said, “It’s not really going to deter us from doing what we always do.”
“We’re not afraid of that. It’s just a little bump in the road, and we’re still planning to have the church tomorrow, obviously not at this current location, but we still plan to have a church and once it’s all over, said and done, we’ll go back, ”he added.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents the district where the explosion occurred, said in a statement that “violence is never the answer, even in response to hate speech.”
“While we don’t yet know the motive, am I aware of the anti-LGBTQ + and misogynistic sermons delivered by the pastor of the First Works Baptist Church; and my office referred questions about the pastor to the County Human Rights Commission, which worked with the town of El Monte to defuse the situation. “
“I value inclusiveness, diversity and equality. I also support the right to protest peacefully; however, this attack is wrong and dangerous,” Solis added. “I urge city leaders, church leaders and civic leaders to come together and work together to resolve the issues of hate in our community.
The Mayor of Monte Jessica Ancona wrote on Twitter, “This early morning incident involving the First Works Baptist Church is of great concern to me and to all of us in our great town of El Monte. I call for a full and thorough investigation to be conducted by all necessary agencies and entities.such as the FBI, LA County Sheriffs, LA County Fire Department, El Monte PD, including the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission. As mayor, I will always ensure this that the town of El Monte continues to be an example of civility, respect, and inclusion of all the peoples of the country. “
A protest scheduled to take place in front of the church on Sunday has been called off, according to organizers, Keep El Monte Friendly, who wrote on social media that they “will not promote, encourage or tolerate any violence or act of prejudice “.
“We encourage everyone not to engage in violence and not to fight hate with hate,” the group wrote in a second Facebook post on Saturday night. “Once again, Keep El Monte Friendly was created to unite the community and create a safe space for all. We will continue to gradually overcome this struggle with peace.”
The FBI asked anyone with information about the explosion to call 310-477-6565.
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