Michael Brooks
Native American activist Nathan Phillips was accused of disrupting a Catholic service at Washington D.C.'s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This incident occurred a day after his encounter with a group of Catholic high school students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, who were in town for the March for Life. Phillips, along with about 20 other activists, attempted to enter the church during its Vigil Mass while chanting and playing drums. Security guards had to lock the doors to prevent them from entering, with one guard describing the incident as really upsetting. The Covington Catholic Diocese issued a statement condemning the actions of the youths and promised to take appropriate action. The incident sparked controversy, with some accusing Phillips of displaying anti-Christian, anti-Catholic contempt and comparing his actions to Nazi tactics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | 19 January |
| Location | Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. |
| People involved | Nathan Phillips, Covington Catholic High School students, Black Hebrew Israelites |
| Number of activists | 20 |
| Action taken by security | Locked the church doors |
| Comments by security | "It was really upsetting" |
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What You'll Learn
- Native American activist Nathan Phillips was accused of disrupting a Catholic service with his drum
- Phillips was protesting against Covington Catholic High School students wearing MAGA hats
- The incident took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- Catholic League President Bill Donohue criticised Phillips' actions, comparing them to Nazi tactics
- The Diocese of Covington has launched an investigation into the incident and promised action
Native American activist Nathan Phillips was accused of disrupting a Catholic service with his drum
The video went viral, sparking outrage and accusations of racism. In the video's aftermath, Phillips reportedly led a group of 20 activists to interrupt a Catholic Mass at Washington D.C.'s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. According to a security guard, they had to lock the doors to prevent the group from entering. Phillips and his fellow activists were protesting the students' behaviour and demanding that the Covington Catholic High School students be reprimanded.
The incident drew criticism from conservative groups, including Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who accused Phillips of displaying anti-Christian, anti-Catholic contempt and compared his actions to "Nazi" tactics. Donohue claimed that Phillips had tried to storm the church, echoing similar actions taken by Nazis in Germany when they disrupted synagogue services. Ingraham and Donohue also mocked Phillips' military service, despite neither of them having served in the military themselves.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, issued a statement condemning the actions of the students and promised to take appropriate action, including possible expulsion. The diocese recognised that the incident had tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and expressed sincere apologies to all those who attended and supported the pro-life movement.
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Phillips was protesting against Covington Catholic High School students wearing MAGA hats
On January 18, 2019, a confrontation occurred between political demonstrators near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The incident involved Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann, who wore a red "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hat, and Native American activist Nathan Phillips. Initial media reports and videos shared on social media portrayed the Catholic students as aggressors, leading to widespread outrage and even death threats against the students and school. However, subsequent footage revealed a more nuanced narrative.
In the encounter, Phillips approached Sandmann while beating a ceremonial drum and singing, standing close to Sandmann's face. Sandmann stood his ground, later explaining that he wanted to convey a message of non-violence and avoid escalation. He denied hearing any of his classmates chanting "Build that wall" or anything hateful or racist. The longer video also revealed the presence of a group of Black Hebrew Israelites who had been shouting scripture and taunting people, including a Catholic priest, before the students arrived.
The incident sparked intense debate and highlighted deep divisions in American society. Some, like Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Catholic League President Bill Donohue, accused Phillips of displaying anti-Christian, anti-Catholic contempt and compared his actions to "Nazi" tactics. They mocked his military service and criticised his interruption of a Catholic Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., along with around 20 other activists. Donohue specifically accused Phillips of targeting the Catholic Church, drawing comparisons to the Nazis disrupting synagogues in Germany.
Others defended Phillips, arguing that he intervened to bring peace, music, and prayer to a tense situation. They praised his recognition of the shared humanity between all involved. Some criticised Sandmann and his classmates for wearing the MAGA hats, associating them with President Donald Trump's controversial remarks, including racist statements.
The Covington Catholic High School temporarily closed due to safety concerns, and the students received support from crisis management professionals. The incident ignited a broader discussion about media coverage, with some arguing that the initial reports and social media portrayal of the event were misleading and contributed to the spread of misinformation.
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The incident took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The incident in question, involving Native American activist Nathan Phillips, took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The Basilica is a prominent Catholic place of worship and a significant site for religious gatherings and events.
On the day of the incident, Phillips, along with a group of approximately 20 other activists, approached the Basilica during a Vigil Mass. The activists were reportedly chanting and playing drums as they attempted to enter the church, leading to disruption and intervention by the security personnel on site. The security guard on duty shared their account of the incident with the Catholic News Agency (CNA), describing it as "really upsetting" and detailing how they had to lock the doors to prevent the group from entering.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of rising tensions between multiple groups in Washington, D.C. Phillips had gained media attention the previous day due to his confrontation with students from Covington Catholic High School, who were wearing "`MAGA`" hats and had travelled from Kentucky for the annual March for Life, an anti-abortion protest. This encounter was captured on video and sparked widespread controversy, with the Diocese of Covington launching an investigation and issuing a statement condemning the students' actions.
The incident at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception further escalated the situation. Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Catholic League President Bill Donohue strongly criticised Phillips, accusing him of displaying "anti-Christian, anti-Catholic" contempt and comparing his actions to "Nazi" tactics. They specifically referenced the disruption at the Basilica, where Phillips and the activists allegedly attempted to interrupt a Catholic Mass, drawing parallels with the Nazis' disruption of synagogue services in Germany.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, as a revered Catholic site, became a focal point of the controversy surrounding Phillips' actions. The incident sparked intense debates about the nature of religious respect, freedom of worship, and the role of activism in places of worship. The Basilica, with its symbolic significance, found itself at the centre of a national dialogue on racial and religious tensions in the United States.
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Catholic League President Bill Donohue criticised Phillips' actions, comparing them to Nazi tactics
Native American activist Nathan Phillips gained national media attention after his confrontation with Covington Catholic High School students. The students, wearing MAGA hats, were in Washington for the annual March for Life, an anti-abortion protest. Phillips defended a group called the Black Hebrew Israelites, who were exchanging taunts with the students.
The following Saturday, Phillips and around 20 other activists attempted to enter the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., during a Vigil Mass. They were chanting and banging drums, and security guards locked the doors to prevent them from entering. Phillips recited a list of demands outside the church, including that the students be reprimanded by their universities.
Catholic League President Bill Donohue criticised Phillips' actions, saying:
> It wasn't the white kids who called the Indians savages, it was the black thugs... He didn't go after the blacks, did he -- the Hebrew Israelites... No, he went after the Catholic Church. He tried to storm the church! That's what the Nazis did in Germany, they went into the synagogues to disrupt their services.
Donohue's comments were made during an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who also mocked Phillips' military service. Donohue has served as president of the highly conservative Catholic League since 1993.
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The Diocese of Covington has launched an investigation into the incident and promised action
The Diocese of Covington has launched an investigation into the incident involving Nathan Phillips and Covington Catholic High School students. The Diocese has promised to take appropriate action, including the possibility of expulsion for the students involved.
In a statement, the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, condemned the actions of the youths, saying: "The matter is being investigated, and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion. We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement."
The investigation was prompted by a video that went viral, showing a confrontation between Phillips, a Native American elder and activist, and a group of students from the all-boys Catholic school in Covington, Kentucky. The students were in Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life, an anti-abortion protest, and were wearing MAGA hats. Phillips, on the other hand, was in town celebrating Indigenous People's Day and had also come to support the Black Hebrew Israelites, who were exchanging taunts with the students.
The Diocese's investigation aims to understand the incident and determine appropriate consequences for those involved. This includes holding students, parents, and the school accountable, as suggested by Phillips in an interview: "If their own instructors, their own teachers, their own chaperones, would have handled the situation right from the beginning, it would never have happened. I would have never been bothered by it."
The incident has sparked widespread criticism and debate, with some accusing Phillips of disrupting a Catholic Mass with his drum and displaying anti-Christian, anti-Catholic contempt. However, others have defended Phillips, arguing that the students' behaviour was boorish and provoked by the Black Hebrew Israelites.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, according to the Catholic News Agency, Nathan Phillips and a group of around 20 activists tried to disrupt a Catholic Mass at Washington D.C.'s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Phillips disrupted the service as he believed the Catholic students from Covington Catholic High School were harassing the Black Hebrew Israelites group.
Phillips and his group of activists were chanting and banging on drums outside the church, attempting to enter during the Vigil Mass. Security guards locked the doors to prevent them from entering.
