St. Sabina raises American flag upside down Monday in protest

CHICAGO — St. Sabina Church has raised an American flag upside down Monday to protest the Trump administration.

It took place 11 a.m. in front of St. Sabina, located at 78th and Throop.

The protest is a sign that “America is in a State of Emergency,” according to Father Michael Pfleger.

“While Medicare is at risk, thousands of government workers are being fired, the Department of Education is being eradicated, African, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Mexican individuals are being identified as criminals and scooped up like animals to be deported, a billionaire citizen has been given total access to U.S. citizens private information, an ethnic cleansing is being called for in Gaza, and countless other programs and individuals lives are at risk, America is in distress and in a State of Emergency. We will raise the flag upside down as a symbol of it and call others to do the same,” Pfleger wrote in the press release.

Pfleger, among others, said they’re against the federal job cuts, pulling apart the Department of Education and deportations.

“People say people shed blood for the freedom of this country, that’s what the flag stands for. That’s exactly it. The freedom of this country is at stake. We have billionaires running this country, people losing their jobs. Medicaid, Medicare are up for grabs right now. DEI and banning of black history books. It is unacceptable,” Pfleger said.

The Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have fired tens of thousands of federal workers in areas of public health, the Federal Aviation Administration, consumer protection and national parks.

Father Pfleger said now is the time to resist.

“This is not the time to get discouraged. This is not the time to get overwhelmed. It’s the time to resist and stand up. They can only do what the American people allow them,” Pfleger said.

Archietta Shannon, who is among those who stand behind Pfleger, spoke to WGN News in tears.

“I am a Republican, but today I am ashamed. You’re killing all of us and this isn’t right,” Shannon said.

“It hurts me because that’s not what we anticipated. We did not anticipate we would lose everything.”

Father Pfleger said he hopes this will be one of many wake-up calls to the Trump administration, as people across the nation continue to boycott and raise their voices.

Per multiple posts on social media, grassroots organizations are pushing consumers to refrain from shopping at big box stores this Friday, calling it “Feb 28 Economic Blackout.”