SW News: Hundreds of American Christians assembled in Washington DC to express solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world as part of the third-annual March for the Martyrs on Saturday, September 24.

Hosted by For the Martyrs NGO founded by activist Gia Chacon, advocates of religious freedom called on believers to learn from those who chose to sacrifice their lives rather than renounce their belief in Jesus Christ.

The event, which was a demonstration of a different kind, included live worship music of John Forystek and speeches by Chacon, Fr Simon Esshaki of the Chaldean Catholic Church, and evangelists Jacob Coyne and Shane Winnings.

Members marched to the Museum of the Bible, where a night of prayer event was held. The event was aimed to raise awareness about the plight of the persecuted Church. Reports suggest that more than 360 million believers live in places where they face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.

Chacon said Christian persecution is a human rights crisis, and it should be treated with the same level of urgency and seriousness as any other human rights violations. This should not be seen as an issue that is only for the Church. She quoted figures from religious persecution watchdog Open Doors USA pointing out that “we went from 345 million Christians being persecuted in 2021 to 360 million Christians around the world.”

In an interview with The Christian Post, she said about the importance of having a unified voice for Christians in the fight against persecution.

“It’s so important that we're standing up now, as brothers and sisters in Christ in the United States, being a voice for our persecuted brothers and sisters,” Chacón said.

Chacon emphasized that the March for the Martyrs is more than a march for persecuted Christians, rather it is a movement where they are waking up Christians of all denominations across the US to raise their voice on behalf of the persecuted faithful. And added, "we can't underestimate the power of prayer when it comes to persecution."