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The FBI is investigating vandalism and an explosion at an area church known for its anti-LGBTQ stance.
Police and firefighters responded to smoke coming from the First Works Baptist Church in El Monte just after 1 a.m. on Saturday. The walls were vandalized and the windows were broken. No injuries were reported.
Church pastor Bruce Mejia has been the target of protests for preaching again same-sex relationships, and for making derogatory statements about women, Jewish people, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Southern Poverty Law Center classified the church as a hate group in 2019.
On Jan. 17, Keep El Monte Friendly, an activist group devoted to inclusivity, held a protest outside First Works against what it calls the church’s hateful rhetoric. The group has since cancelled a demonstration planned for today, and issued a statement condemning the attack.