HUGE PROTESTS OVER TRUMP’S POLICY
Thousands march against what they view as cruel treatment of migrants
PROTESTERS marched into Lafayette Square opposite the White House on Saturday and chanted “families belong together” to counter President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy. There were dozens of other rallies from New York to California.
Angered by what they view as the cruel treatment of migrants seeking refuge in the United States from violence in their home countries, the crowds turned out on Saturday bearing homemade signs that read “Abolish ICE” — the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency — and “Zero tolerance for family separation”.
For two sisters, Claudia Thomas and Monica Escobar, the sight of immigrant children being taken from their parents hit close to home.
When they were young, they immigrated to the US from Guatemala, one of several Central American countries that is a source of migrants.
They said they were out at Saturday’s protest in the nation’s capital to stand up for “human decency”.
Similar scenes unfolded in large, border cities like El Paso, Texas; state capitals like Salt Lake City and Atlanta; and smaller, interior towns like Redding, California. Organisers anticipated more than 700 protests in 50 states. The protests were largely peaceful, although there were a few arrests.
In Huntsville, Alabama, police said one man was arrested after he got into a scuffle with protesters and pulled out a handgun. No one was injured.
In Columbus, Ohio, one person was arrested on a charge of obstructing official business, police said. And the Dallas Police Department said five people were arrested during a protest outside an ICE building.
Otherwise, protesters caused few disturbances at statehouses and ICE buildings, where they danced, chanted and sang. Many clutched signs with messages berating Trump and his immigration policies.
A splinter group of protesters here went to protest at what they said was the residence of Stephen Miller, a White House adviser known for his hardline views on immigration. They held up a sign saying “Stephen Miller, We Know Where You Sleep”.
On Twitter on Saturday, Trump criticised the handful of Democratic politicians who have called for ICE to be eliminated.
“You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements,” he wrote in part of the post addressed to ICE employees.
Celebrities like Kerry Washington, star of the hit ABC series Scandal, and comedian Amy Schumer joined the protests in New York, and politicians like Senator Elizabeth Warren, joined the demonstration in Boston. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, and Alicia Keys, the singer-songwriter-pianist, performed here.
In New York, protesters overflowed Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. At every intersection on the way to the central march location, clusters of people chanted: “When children are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”