Following 20/20 Vision for Schools’ Statement on the School/Church Eviction Controversy on January 12th, here are links to various media reports, as well as several embedded videos.

Watch CNN’s coverage here.

Jeremy Del Rio of 20/20 Vision for Schools believes that the ban will hurt low-income communities where most of the 68 congregations affected by the ban are located. “Mayor Bloomberg believes that children in New York City can’t tell the difference between the church that rents the building on Sundays and the academic instruction that takes place Monday through Friday. New York is smarter than that. Our children are smarter than that. They know the difference.”

GOLDEN LEGISLATION ALLOWING USE OF SCHOOLS FOR WORSHIP SERVICES PASSES SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Cabrera: “We are optimistic.” | WORLD New York

NYC Worship Protests Intensify

NYC Clergy/Councilman protest of DOE (Youtube Video link)

NYC’s senseless slap at prayer (NY Post)

Protest movement grows, Bronx Pastor willing to die to oppose city policy against churches meeting

NYC Press Conference 01/18/12 (Vimeo video link)

NYC Press Conference 01/18/12 from Christian Monzon on Vimeo.

WNYC News Blog – Clergy, Politicians Protest Ban on Worship in Public Schools

Perp Walk for Praying (Youtube video link)

Waves of pastors, professors, politicians, lay people arrested at Bloomberg’s annual State of City

At least 30 arrested at rally against public space service ban (News 12 video link)

City Council Members Make the Case For Houses Of Worship in Closed Public Schools (NY1 video link)

Temperature check: how the crowd outside see the Bloomberg administration

For the last couple of years churches have worked as partners with many city public schools. Jeremy Del Rio of 20/20 Vision warned that the churches cannot let the conflict with the city government to reduce their focus on the important role that churches are playing in sustaining and improving their communities. “The biggest challenge is that we have reduced the relationship between churches and schools to a landlord tenant relationship. We’re not just tenants in buildings, but were partners in the transformation of our schools.”

Churches Change Tactics to Fight Ouster From N.Y.C. Schools (NY Times)

New York City Church Leaders Arrested Fighting for Right to Worship

Clergymen in Cuffs as Protesters Are Arrested (NY Times Cityroom Blog)