Interfaith group holds vigil outside St. John's Church, near the White House

A group of interfaith leaders held a prayer vigil on Sunday outside St. John's Church near the White House, where President Donald Trump held a June 1 appearance that sparked criticism after protesters were forcibly cleared from the area.

The faith leaders, representing multiple Christian denominations as well as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths, addressed a crowd of several dozen at the edge of the recently named Black Lives Matter Plaza with a message of racial justice.[embed:render:embedded:node:40444]

"The government stands under God's judgment, and must therefore be held accountable for protecting the innocent, guaranteeing basic freedoms and liberties, and establishing justice and equality,'' said Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Among the speakers at St. John's was Rev. William Barber, leader of the Poor People's Campaign movement on behalf of lower-income Americans, who also addressed Sunday services at the Washington National Cathedral.    (AP)