Yesterday, in response to President Trump's executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for the next 90 days and the admission of all refugees for 120 days, thousands of protesters rallied at airports across the country, and they have continued into today.
In New York City's Battery Park, thousands of people, including New York state Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, gathered for the rally. Broadly spoke to several people who are publicly protesting despite the bitter cold. These are their reasons for protest.
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Julie and Carlie
**BROADLY: *What brought you here to protest?***
*Julie:* Fascism. Everything he's doing is bad. We're getting our bodies out here, saying that we're not standing for this.
Carlie: The night that he got elected, we went to an organizing meeting yesterday for the Worker's World Party, on how to mobilize against Trump.
*Julie:* Fascism. Everything he's doing is bad. We're getting our bodies out here, saying that we're not standing for this.
Carlie: The night that he got elected, we went to an organizing meeting yesterday for the Worker's World Party, on how to mobilize against Trump.
Alicia, Xavier, Grace, Georgia, Roxanne, Sonia, Sean
What brought you here to protest?
Alicia: We just have a history of being activists in our family, and my mother-in-law has fought for civil rights for everybody, which includes immigrants regardless of color, creed, and religion. This is just not acceptable, this is not what we do in this country, this is not what this nation is built upon. We are here to support our Muslim and refugee brothers and sisters.
Alicia: We are veterans, right, guys? We went to the women's rally in New York last week, the Eric Garner rallies, and we lived in Florida when the Trayvon Martin decision came out. We are raising our children to be politically and civically aware. This is not our first rodeo.
Alicia: We just have a history of being activists in our family, and my mother-in-law has fought for civil rights for everybody, which includes immigrants regardless of color, creed, and religion. This is just not acceptable, this is not what we do in this country, this is not what this nation is built upon. We are here to support our Muslim and refugee brothers and sisters.
What other protests have you joined?We are here to support our muslim and refugee brothers and sisters.
Alicia: We are veterans, right, guys? We went to the women's rally in New York last week, the Eric Garner rallies, and we lived in Florida when the Trayvon Martin decision came out. We are raising our children to be politically and civically aware. This is not our first rodeo.
Amy and Greg
What brought you here to protest?
Amy: My husband said we are going to a rally because of the ban on Muslims. Game over.
Greg: I just was looking for some way to protest this stupidity. Sometimes you just say, There is no way that this is going to happen, not over my dead body. My father was not allowed to go to medical school [in New York] because then they had a quota on Jews, so he went to school in Kentucky, which was the closest he could get. As a result, he saved, directly, thousands of people's lives. Indirectly, through things he worked on, as he was part of inventing dialysis, millions of people are alive. The people you are keeping out now are people who could save your life later.
Amy: My husband said we are going to a rally because of the ban on Muslims. Game over.
Greg: I just was looking for some way to protest this stupidity. Sometimes you just say, There is no way that this is going to happen, not over my dead body. My father was not allowed to go to medical school [in New York] because then they had a quota on Jews, so he went to school in Kentucky, which was the closest he could get. As a result, he saved, directly, thousands of people's lives. Indirectly, through things he worked on, as he was part of inventing dialysis, millions of people are alive. The people you are keeping out now are people who could save your life later.
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Also, I grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust, many family members died, and this Trump administration smells like fascism to me. Right now we are protesting peacefully, and I hope it stays that way, but we need to talk now, stand up now, or we might get gunned down later.
Monica, James, and their kids.
What brought you here to protest?
Monica: We're from New Jersey, but my parents are immigrants from China. I was born and raised in San Francisco, but just the fact that Trump has put this ban on immigrants is very hurtful and we wanted to come and show our support. We are also here to show our children that when something is wrong, you fight.
James: We are going to continue marching and making sure our voices are heard, making sure our children know that they have the right to have their voices when their rights are being oppressed. We are also trying to share in the love of all these people out here. We're trying to make a difference.
Monica: We're from New Jersey, but my parents are immigrants from China. I was born and raised in San Francisco, but just the fact that Trump has put this ban on immigrants is very hurtful and we wanted to come and show our support. We are also here to show our children that when something is wrong, you fight.
How do you plan to continue protesting moving forward?When something is wrong, you fight.
James: We are going to continue marching and making sure our voices are heard, making sure our children know that they have the right to have their voices when their rights are being oppressed. We are also trying to share in the love of all these people out here. We're trying to make a difference.
Georgia and Lisa
What brought you here to protest?
Georgia: We were part of the women's march and we were very impressed by the turnout, and we want to show up and support other movements as our rights are being taken away. I think it's important to show up for people even if they're not directly related to you.What other issues do you care about?
Lisa: Reproductive rights, immigration—the list goes on and on.
Georgia: We were part of the women's march and we were very impressed by the turnout, and we want to show up and support other movements as our rights are being taken away. I think it's important to show up for people even if they're not directly related to you.What other issues do you care about?
Lisa: Reproductive rights, immigration—the list goes on and on.
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Did yesterday's ACLU ruling bring you any hope?
Georgia: Yes it did, but we have to see what is coming. It doesn't mean that you can stop showing up.
Lisa: We're going to keep showing up, keep being active and organizing. Taking action in our communities. I'm organizing a self-defense class.
Georgia: Yes it did, but we have to see what is coming. It doesn't mean that you can stop showing up.
Lisa: We're going to keep showing up, keep being active and organizing. Taking action in our communities. I'm organizing a self-defense class.
Drew and Melissa
What brought you here to protest?
Drew: It's hard to put into words honestly. I'm feeling really strongly about this, and I'm totally overwhelmed; it's fucking madness and I want to come out and show that I care, more for myself. I'm not here with a sign and I'm not screaming, but I feel very strongly that I hate what is happening.
Melissa: We're in a depressing time for humanity. I feel like I was doing the wrong thing by not being here… I think it's important to be here, just another number to show that I don't agree.
Drew: In the past I have had to work but now I plan on being here. This is my first protest.
Melissa: I'm not the most active person but I'm trying to become more active. Literally everyone in my network is becoming active, as things get more scary: More people are participating and are coming out.
Drew: It's hard to put into words honestly. I'm feeling really strongly about this, and I'm totally overwhelmed; it's fucking madness and I want to come out and show that I care, more for myself. I'm not here with a sign and I'm not screaming, but I feel very strongly that I hate what is happening.
Melissa: We're in a depressing time for humanity. I feel like I was doing the wrong thing by not being here… I think it's important to be here, just another number to show that I don't agree.
Do you plan on future activism?It's fucking madness and I want to come out and show that I care.
Drew: In the past I have had to work but now I plan on being here. This is my first protest.
Melissa: I'm not the most active person but I'm trying to become more active. Literally everyone in my network is becoming active, as things get more scary: More people are participating and are coming out.
Caleb and Solomon
What brought you here to protest?
Caleb: I'm a pretty politically inactive person, but I had just recently experience a jarring personal experience. I was on the subway and a 15-year-old was screaming racial epithets. Seeing that, I couldn't deal with it, and decided that this is out of control. I'm usually someone who lets things slide but I can't let this slide anymore. This is crazy. We need to fight this. For anyone who thinks you should let this slide, you should fight back.
Caleb: I'm a pretty politically inactive person, but I had just recently experience a jarring personal experience. I was on the subway and a 15-year-old was screaming racial epithets. Seeing that, I couldn't deal with it, and decided that this is out of control. I'm usually someone who lets things slide but I can't let this slide anymore. This is crazy. We need to fight this. For anyone who thinks you should let this slide, you should fight back.
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What's the Corgi's name?
Solomon. He's Jewish.
Solomon. He's Jewish.
Mayansoloksai
What brought you here to protest?
Mayansoloksai: I just want to show my support. My family came as immigrants and they make this country what it is. I want to try to attend as many rallies as I can.
As of a week ago, I wasn't politically involved, but now I'm nervous about the direction the country is going in and I want to be here with the people and show my face. I was really willing to give Trump a chance, but once I saw the executive order he was signed in this week, I had to take a stand. This is not the America I believe in. And I brought my son, Asher. He's got to know from an early age.
Mayansoloksai: I just want to show my support. My family came as immigrants and they make this country what it is. I want to try to attend as many rallies as I can.
Have you been to other protests?Read more: Trump Denies 'Muslim Ban,' Details Plans to Restrict Muslims from Entering US
As of a week ago, I wasn't politically involved, but now I'm nervous about the direction the country is going in and I want to be here with the people and show my face. I was really willing to give Trump a chance, but once I saw the executive order he was signed in this week, I had to take a stand. This is not the America I believe in. And I brought my son, Asher. He's got to know from an early age.
Theodore
What do you plan to do in the future?
Freddy: Not stop screaming until [Trump] is out of office.
Theodore: We are supporting our neighbors and our neighbors-to-be.
Freddy: Not stop screaming until [Trump] is out of office.
Theodore: We are supporting our neighbors and our neighbors-to-be.
Genelee, Ashley, and Sharlene
What brought you here to protest?
Genelee: I'm Canadian and am an immigrant. I have many friends who are affected by this ban: people who have lived in Canada since they were two years old, but if they immigrated from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, they can't come and visit me here. They don't have the privilege that I have to come study here. I live in New York and I love this city and the diversity. Diversity is what built this city.
Ashley: I'm from Houston, Texas, and my dad's an immigrant. Most of my friends are first generation, and there is a large immigrant population in Houston. I'm here for all of them, especially my friends who are undocumented Mexican immigrants. Texas is a red state and they don't have opportunities to do things like this there. I'm happy to be here in New York to support the cause.
Sharlene: I hate Trump.
Ashley: We were all very active with Black Lives Matter.Do you see an intersection between BLM and these anti-Trump demonstrations?
Ashley: Yeah, there are black Muslims all over the world. The most famous is Malcolm X. It's all related. People try to separate movements, but everybody matters, everything matters.
Genelee: Black lives matter, and it's great, this new focus on intersectional feminism—that's the buzzword du jour. And I think that if you call yourself an intersectional feminist, you need to be getting out and supporting people of all identities. That's why we are here.
Genelee: I'm Canadian and am an immigrant. I have many friends who are affected by this ban: people who have lived in Canada since they were two years old, but if they immigrated from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, they can't come and visit me here. They don't have the privilege that I have to come study here. I live in New York and I love this city and the diversity. Diversity is what built this city.
Ashley: I'm from Houston, Texas, and my dad's an immigrant. Most of my friends are first generation, and there is a large immigrant population in Houston. I'm here for all of them, especially my friends who are undocumented Mexican immigrants. Texas is a red state and they don't have opportunities to do things like this there. I'm happy to be here in New York to support the cause.
Sharlene: I hate Trump.
Were you politically active before Trump?I hate Trump.
Ashley: We were all very active with Black Lives Matter.Do you see an intersection between BLM and these anti-Trump demonstrations?
Ashley: Yeah, there are black Muslims all over the world. The most famous is Malcolm X. It's all related. People try to separate movements, but everybody matters, everything matters.
Genelee: Black lives matter, and it's great, this new focus on intersectional feminism—that's the buzzword du jour. And I think that if you call yourself an intersectional feminist, you need to be getting out and supporting people of all identities. That's why we are here.