Nuns sing during Easter mass at Saint Patrick’s cathedral in New York on March 31, 2024. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Three protesters were taken into custody late Saturday for disrupting Easter Vigil Mass at Manhattan's St. Patrick's Cathedral, police said.
The 8 p.m. service, conducted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, was interrupted roughly 45 minutes after its start when the three protestors approached the alter with a large white banner that read "Silence = Death."
Videos shared by Extinction Rebellion NYC showed the trio quickly escorted from the church seconds after unfurling the banner. "Free Palestine" chants could also be heard.
The three men, two in their 30s and one in his 60s, were arrested by police on charges of disrupting a religious service, the NYPD confirmed Sunday.
"War, occupation, and industrial pollution are poisoning the soil, air and water in Gaza and all over the planet, destroying the earth's capacity to sustain life," said Gregory Schwedock, one of the XR NYC Palestine Solidarity activists arrested Saturday.
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The group of activists released a statement following the protest action calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
News
Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, regular demonstrations have continued across New York City by protestors calling on a ceasefire.
On Sunday, Gaza's Health Ministry said nearly 33,000 Palestinians had been killed since the war started.
