wfn.org | Newsline: Twelve arrested for civil disobedience at gun store are acquitted

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

TWELVE ARRESTED FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AT GUN STORE ARE ACQUITTED

(June 4, 2009) Elgin, IL -- The 12 people who were arrested for civil disob edience at a notorious gun store in Philadelphia during the "Heeding God's  Call" peace church gathering in January have been acquitted. The trial took  place in a Philadelphia court on May 26.

Among those arrested were two members of the Church of the Brethren, Phil J ones and Mimi Copp. The Church of the Brethren's Mission and Ministry Board  helped to support the legal defense for Jones, who at the time of the arre st was serving as director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.

Heeding God's Call marked the beginning of a new faith-based initiative aga inst gun violence and illegal weapons in America's cities. Those arrested w ere part of a campaign to pressure Colosimo's Gun Center to sign a Code of  Conduct for Responsible Gun Dealers, and followed several weeks of discussi on between the gun shop owner and local religious leaders. The defendants i nclude community advocates from Camden, N.J., and Philadelphia, ordained Ch ristian clergy from three denominations, and a Jewish rabbi.

"Tuesday (May 26) was a most amazingly wonderful day--for Heeding God's Cal l and for the gun violence prevention movement. Human and Divine justice ca me together in a miraculous and inspiring way," said Therese Miller of the  Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers),  who served as gathering director for Heeding God's Call.

In an e-mail report, Miller said that the "Heeding God's Call 12" were acqu itted of all charges "to the joy of the 300 supporters who packed the court room, spilled out into the hallway for the morning prayer service, and part icipated in the midday rally." To mark the occasion of the trial, supporter s strung 350 t-shirts around Dilworth Plaza in front of Philadelphia's City  Hall, each shirt pinned with a paper heart naming a local gunshot victim.

Heeding God's Call witnesses continue on the sidewalk in front of Colosimo' s at 9th and Spring Garden in Philadelphia on Saturdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. , and on Mondays from 4-6 p.m.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the Unit ed States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria,  Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org