First Works Baptist Church, El Monte, Los Angeles, California (AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes)

  • White supremacists are the greatest terrorist threat to the United States

  • Usa: execution of the supremacist who killed the African American Byrd

Share

January 24, 2021: The FBI and local authorities are investigating the explosion of a rudimentary device that took place in a church in a suburb of Los Angeles, El Monte.

There were no injuries but the First Works Baptist building was damaged.

The church had been the subject of controversy and protests over its attacks on the LGBT community and other minorities.       



According to local police, the building was vandalized inside before the explosion that broke all the windows.

Church pastor Bruce Mejia said he had received threats on social media in recent weeks.       



The church is part of the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement, an international network of churches that, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a think tank that monitors US right-wing extremist groups, includes people calling for the death penalty for gays. 



In 2019 Meja was one of the attendees at the "Make America Straight Again" conference, let's make America straight again, which took place in Orlando, two days after the third anniversary of the massacre in Pulse, the gay nightclub in the city of Florida. .

Additionally, Meija stood out for his attacks on Black Lives Matter and called women "constitutionally weak".       



In recent weeks, a petition has been presented to the mayor of El Monte, with 15 thousand signatures, asking for the church to be banned from the town.

Local police chief David Reynoso said there were no indications that the protests were linked to the attack on the building.

"I don't even want to talk about the protests because it wouldn't be right to connect the two," he said.       



While the group that organized them, Keep El Monte Friendly, expressed "deep shock" and canceled a demonstration held for today in front of the church.

"We understand that what they preach can anger people, but we will never promote, encourage or condone any act of violence," a statement read.