In New York, bodegas are notorious for remaining open when the rest of the city has fallen asleep or hidden away from impending storms. But on Thursday, hundreds of Yemeni-owned and operated bodegas closed their doors in protest of Trump’s recent anti-Muslim immigration restrictions. Shortly after 5 PM, the Yemeni community rallied at Borough Hall, where individuals and families chanted, sang songs, and held signs in protest. Hoisted up on shoulders or hand-in-hand with friends, children and teens joined in and carried their own signs, many of which spoke to how the ban threatens to separate their families.
Thirteen-year-old Fabook explained that his mom is currently stuck in Yemen. “It’s not right,” he said. “I need my mom here in America with me.”
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Carrying a sign that read, “HATE WILL NEVER MAKE US GREAT,” 15-year-old Khaled said if he could tell President Trump anything, it would be that, “we are peaceful.”
