(ChurchLeaders) A defense attorney sparked backlash by complaining about “Black pastors” attending the Georgia trial of three white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery, who was Black. In response, more than 100 African American pastors plan to gather Nov. 18 outside the Glynn County Superior Courthouse. Journalist April Ryan tweeted that news on Friday, indicating that church leaders will assemble to “be in prayer” for Arbery’s family.
Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed in February 2020. The defendants—Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan—say he was trespassing and they were trying to make a citizens arrest. Arbery’s family contends he was jogging and looking at electrical work, which interested him career-wise.
When footage of the shooting emerged months later, anger over the incident contributed to a summer of racial justice protests. The defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, could face life in prison without parole if convicted.