2015 Restoring Unity Rally

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The 2015 Restoring Unity Rally was a demonstration held on August 28-29, 2015 in Birmingham. It was organized by author and former cable news commentator Glenn Beck through his Mercury One charitable organization, and Bishop Jim Lowe of the Guiding Light Church. Events included visits to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, and other Civil Rights Movement sites, a "community rally" at the Guiding Light Church, a march from Kelly Ingram Park to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, and a main rally at Legacy Arena, followed by a screening of the Erwin Brothers' film "Woodlawn".

More than 20,000 people registered for the event, some traveling from as far away as China, Dubai and the Netherlands. As many as 25,000 to 30,000 may have participated in the march downtown.

The stated purpose of the rally was "to boldly stand, speak, and act as one for self evident truths." Demonstrators carried signs depicting Abraham Lincoln with the word "Justice" and Frederick Douglass with the word "Courage". Other slogans included "All Lives Matter", "Love One Another", "God is the Answer", "Right of Conscience" and "Unity." In addition to Beck and Lowe, other notable marchers included Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr, Texas evangelist Rafael Cruz, and actor Chuck Norris. Another actor, Jon Voight, joined Beck on stage at the main rally.

In his "Never Again is Now" speech, Beck called on attendees to urge their religious leaders of all faiths to stand against the mounting evils besieging society, including Islamist violence and the sale of fetal tissue for scientific research. He stated that "If we can’t say 'all lives matter,' then, honestly, nothing matters." He solicited donations to The Nazarene Fund to help Christian families flee their homes in the Middle East for refuge in Europe or the United States.

References

  • Garrison, Greg (August 29, 2015) "'All Lives Matter' march draws more than 20,000 to Birmingham." The Birmingham News

External links