Protest at Detroit black church amid Trump visit

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump attends a black church for the first time, facing protests by African American residents in the run-up to the US 2016 presidential vote.

On Saturday, the billionaire real estate mogul, who is not very popular among black voters, attended the service at the Great Faith Ministries church in Detroit.

“No Trump, go home Trump,” shouted the demonstrators at the protest, organized by local pastors and activists outside the church,  The Guardian reported.

Meanwhile, Trump’s presence was announced by Bishop Wayne T Jackson (pictured below), saying, “This is his first African American church he’s been in, y’all.”

The New York businessman was not supposed to address the gathering but at the event he said he would read some remarks written beforehand.

“We’re all brothers and sisters and we’re all created by the same God. We must love each other and support each other and we’re in this all together,” said the reality TV star, not known for being a strong Christian. “It’s from the pews and pulpits [and] Christian teachings of black churches all across this land that the civil rights movement lifted up its soul and lifted up the soul of our nation."

He further associated himself with the 16th US president, Abraham Lincoln, who tried to put an end to slavery in the United States.

“Becoming the nominee of the party of Abe Lincoln has been the greatest honor of my life,” he said. “It is on his legacy that I hope to build the future of the party, but more importantly the future of the nation.”

Trump acknowledged that “the African American community is suffering from discrimination and there are many wrongs that must still be made right,” claiming, “They will be made right. I want to make them right.”

Trump wrapped in Israeli shawl

Unlike his rival, Hillary Clinton, who has discussed police crackdown on the African American population, Trump focused on economy.

“I’m here today to learn so that we can together remedy injustice in any form and so that we can remedy economics so that the African American community can benefit economically through jobs and income and many different ways,” he said.

Detroit is struggling to get rid of the largest municipal bankruptcy in the US history.

Last month, a speech by Trump among business tycoons in downtown Detroit was nearly derailed by activists.

“The difference between Donald Trump and Detroit is Detroit’s only gone through bankruptcy once,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan at a press conference. “This is the most phony major party candidate I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

Prior to the event, Trump sat with Jackson at an interview that was supposed to be edited and published later.

Jackson presented Trump with a Jewish Heritage Study Bible, a pin, and a shawl from Israel, in which he was wrapped.

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