Washington, D.C. — With a backdrop of the White House, protesters gathered to express their displeasure of President Trump’s new executive order on immigration on Monday.
From signs that read “Refugees welcome,” to others that had the biblical message “Love thy neighbor,” the demonstrators gathered in the cold to chant and listen to speakers take the podium.
The new executive order bans for 90-days citizens from six Muslim-Majority nations from traveling to the United States. Those countries include Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Travelers holding valid visas or green-cards will be exempt from the travel ban.
The White House said the roll out of this new order was done effectively, and gives agencies a 10-day window to determine how to best implement it.
Tom Perez, the new leader of the Democratic National Committee, was among the speakers to address the crowd outside the White House.
“You can only put so much lipstick on a pig — it is still a pig,” he said.
Perez called on the crowd to continue to speak up about the immigration order, which he said is as “unconstitutional” as the first travel ban.
“America is at its best when we are building bridges of opportunity, and not walls of distrust,” he said.
Local leaders spoke too including Katie Cristol, vice chair of the Arlington County Board.
“This Muslim ban 2.0 — this act of fear — I am here to tell you this is not in our names,” Cristol said.
Many of the speakers directed their attention to the White House, illuminated in the night, several yards behind the podium.
Patricio Provitina, of D.C., moved to the United States from Argentina. His hoped that the president would hear the crowd and their messages.
“As an immigrant, as a Latino, I am completely opposed to what he is doing,” Provitina said.
