Mpls. Police: 5K March Downtown To Protest Trump's Immigrant Ban
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Police said an estimated 5,000 people took part in a march downtown today to protest President Trump's executive order on immigration.
They held up signs and chanted against the temporary travel ban which prevents citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S for 90 days. It also bans all refugees from entering for 120 days.
"No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all," was just one of the chants that echoed outside the federal courthouse.
The message was loud and clear, fueled by a range of emotions that inspired thousands of people to pack plaza.
"It's sad that we're having to do this, but I'm glad people are not just sitting back and not doing anything," one protester said.
Chants of "We must resist," filled the air with the crowd starting to swell right in the middle of the evening commute. The event was to protest President Trump's executive order on immigration as well as his desire to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges also argued against the President's executive order to withhold federal money from sanctuary cities. She feels massive protests across the country can make a difference.
"I think it might have an impact on people in congress who see their constituents coming out to object to these policies and to object to what Donald Trump is trying to do," she said.
Protester Ali Ali agrees with her. Not only did he recently run for the State Senate in the 55th district as a Democrat, he said he came to the U.S. two decades ago as a refugee from Djibouti. Ali said the travel ban gave him flashbacks of his first trip to the country.
"I also want people who fear for their life to want to come to this country, enjoy the same freedom I had," he said.
Ali also carried with him a sign that stood out from the crowd. Unlike the others people were holding up in the air, his was blank. He said there are no words to describe the issues facing the country right now.
"I left it up to everyone's imagination that what's going on is beyond belief," he said.
As darkness fell, the protest turned into a march. Participants worked their way towards Hennepin Avenue, at times weaving between cars that got caught in the march. Several drivers and city buses were couldn't move until the parade of protesters marched past. People in stores, restaurants, skyways, and offices that lined the march stood at the windows taking pictures, some even showing support.
Read More: Supporters Say Trump's Immigration Policy Is Delivering Campaign Promise
"It is absolutely unacceptable to say that whole groups of people aren't allowed to come into this country just based on their religion or based on what country they're from," protester Cherrene Horazuk said.
Police had to close several downtown streets as the crowd grew. Some protesters have a personal connection to the issue, but most of the people WCCO talked to just wanted to show solidarity with refugees affected by the ban. Police say the march ended at about 7 p.m.
Read More: Gov. Dayton Calls Trump Executive Orders 'Ill-Conceived', Some 'Unconstitutional'
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota Vice President Maureen Warren says her organization is the state's largest provider of refugee resettlement services.
Warren says it has been a very scary time for the families that work with LSS. She says 11 refugees that had immediate plans to come to Minnesota within the next two weeks must now find another place to resettle.
