Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave

An unidentified federal agent fires a chemical weapon into Rev. Jorge Bautista's face during a protest outside of Coast Guard Island in Oakland on Thursday Oct. 23, 2025. Credit: David Bacon

“Those of us that showed up as clergy, we believe in always standing on the side of love – and for the love for migrants in this case, knowing that migrants are members of our churches, members of our communities, and that they also deserve to live in peace and with full dignity...We knew what these ICE Agents are doing around the country. We knew how they’re harassing and taking people away, separating families, and really hurting them. As clergy, my job, I believe, is to make sure people are experiencing joy in their lives and that they are being respected and not abused, and to remind all of us that we’re all divine beings on this earth, and therefore we all should be respected.” -- Rev. Jorge Bautista

Source: https://www.ucc.org/ucc-pastor-shot-by-federal-agents-with-pepper-round-speaks-about-standing-on-the-side-of-love/