The FBI is investigating claims that a group of evangelical Christians was attacked for their faith during a prayer rally in Seattle over the weekend. The move comes after the mayor blamed the Christians for the violence at the event, calling it a "far-right rally."
The prayer rally in Seattle's Cal Park on Saturday quickly turned violent when members from the LGBTQ community and Antifa showed up to protest.
"One of them actually pulled a knife and threatened a 17-year-old on our side," Ross Johnston, a co-leader of the Mayday USA prayer event, told CBN News, describing the extreme behavior of the counter-protesters. "And not to mention, while the kids were getting haircuts, there was actually sexually explicit lewd acts being done directly in front of the children."
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The permitted rally was held in a park with a well-known gay neighborhood nearby. The location was reportedly orchestrated by the city.
Johnston said his group knew there would be protests, but he never expected such violence, which turned into a full-blown riot.
"Multiple police officers were assaulted. There was water balloons with urine being thrown. There was two people who rushed the stage," explained Johnston.
The FBI is looking into charges of attacks on religious believers.
Dan Bongino, the FBI's Deputy Director, wrote on X Tuesday, "We have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert. Freedom of religion isn't a suggestion."
And Pastor Paula White-Cain spoke out from the White House, tweeting, "The White House Faith Office condemns the violent disruption of Seattle's Mayday USA worship event... public officials must protect the inalienable rights of all citizens, regardless of their faith or religious beliefs."
Meanwhile, Seattle's mayor blamed Christians for the attack and wrongly labeled the event as "far-right" while Antifa militants attacked worshippers and police, leading to 23 arrests.
MORE DETAILS HERE: Seattle Mayor Blames Christians for Violent Rioters Who Attacked Them
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