Anti-ICE Activist Disrupts Church Services
A protester who has been vocal against ICE disrupted a Sunday service in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has previously harassed attendees at Army Secretary Pete Hegseth’s church in Washington, D.C.
William Kelly, known for sharing videos of his confrontations with law enforcement, recently targeted congregants at Cities Church in St. Paul, loudly critiquing them. Early footage reveals him aggressively labeling churchgoers as “Nazis” outside Christ Church, D.C., where Hegseth also attends. In another clip, he confronts Hegseth, branding him a “traitor” and suggesting he’ll “learn to do pull-ups in prison.”
In a video shared by podcaster Jesse Dolmore, Kelly mentioned, “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” expressing his anticipation to see Hegseth regularly at church.
In November, Kelly started a GoFundMe campaign aimed at supporting his travels to confront what he describes as “Gestapo” actions, and he has raised nearly $40,000. He has amassed about 65,000 followers on TikTok.
Justin Oberbaugh, Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Security, remarked, “The man harassing parishioners in Minnesota (DaWokeFarmer, aka William Kelly) has been part of groups that have met regularly to disrupt services since the church’s founding last summer. The Metropolitan Police Department is there, but they don’t intervene when disruptions occur.” This suggests potential law violations during these protests.
Joe Rigney, the founding pastor of Cities Church and current pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, commented on the situation, stating that families with young kids face “profane harassment” while entering and exiting the church. He also highlighted that one member ended up in the hospital due to a protester’s aggressive actions involving a bullhorn.
Attorney General Pam Bondi shared her ongoing communication with Harmeet Dhillon regarding a possible investigation into the actions of the protesters, particularly concerning violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinics Act during recent disruptions in Minnesota.
Bondi emphasized the seriousness of threats against Christians and law enforcement, stating, “If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent illegal activity, the Department of Justice will ensure the rule of law prevails.”
Just before his appearance at Cities Church, Kelly claimed he was “kidnapped by ICE for exercising his First Amendment rights.”
