USA Today reports:
Tens of thousands of people descended on cities from coast-to-coast Saturday in “Families Belong Together” rallies to protest the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that left more than 2,000 children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In the nation’s capital, thousands poured into Lafayette Square, across from the White House, to chant “We care” and “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA.” Protesters waved signs in English and Spanish. The slogan on one English sign demanded, “Where are the children?”
One sign, sounding like a mother’s stern rebuke, read in Spanish, “Trump te calmas o te calmo.” Translation: “Calm down, Trump, or I will calm you down.” Another sign said, “Melania & Ivanka, stop the child abuse.”
From the New York Times editorial board:
The marches taking place across the country this weekend are really about the soul of America. Forcibly separating children from their parents is not about “deterrence,” or the legal technicalities of law, or illegal immigration, or anything else President Trump has claimed to justify his latest and most odious outrage.
It’s about “Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation,” to borrow from the Declaration of Independence. No, the United States does not have clean hands: It has tolerated many inequities and atrocities throughout its history, toward Native Americans, blacks, Japanese and women, among others.
Yet against that is the tradition in American law, culture and practice to defend the weak, to welcome the other, to give refuge to the oppressed and to refuse to acquiesce when a government acts against basic dictates of conscience. The Trump administration has committed a gross offense. It is the duty of every decent American to demand that it promptly reunite these children with their parents.
We are protesting in over 600 cities today demanding:
✔️ No more family separations
✔️ ALL kids reunited within 30 days of the court’s order
✔️ Kids under 5 reunited within 14 days of the court’s order
✔️ No indefinite jailing of kids and families#FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/yllKYxDrvg— ACLU (@ACLU) June 30, 2018
This is what democracy looks like. #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/UX4i7n3W9o
— ACLU (@ACLU) June 30, 2018
Listen to the children. ? #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/M3Q6lGQiWi
— ACLU (@ACLU) June 30, 2018
? “Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame.”
We won’t give the president a moment’s peace until his administration reunites the thousands of families they’ve separated. #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/HxOikmf6Ml
— ACLU (@ACLU) June 30, 2018
This is one of 20+ #FamiliesBelongTogether rallies in NC today. We the People demand an end to family separation and detention! #Raleigh pic.twitter.com/jktr3fYAmm
— ACLU of North Carolina (@ACLU_NC) June 30, 2018
TODAY. MORE THAN 700 EVENTS NATIONWIDE. #FamiliesBelongTogether https://t.co/bRXCHINPfM
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) June 30, 2018
There are 700+ rallies today. 700+ communities coming together to say that separating children is unjust, unlawful, inhumane and we won’t stand for it. #FamiliesBelongTogether #EndFamilyDetention pic.twitter.com/ueDIDleBRF
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) June 30, 2018
The president has the power to appoint a czar to marshal & organize the agencies in charge of reunifying families. He should exercise that power, listen to all those marching today & clean up the mess he made w/ his slapdash family separation policy. #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 30, 2018
Spotted at #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch – photo by @Gomab4lif – amazing. pic.twitter.com/CyQtSojF7i
— MadDogPAC (@maddogpac) June 30, 2018
30,000+ and growing in DC! #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch pic.twitter.com/yi8hQgvLyE
— Families Belong Together March (@WomenBelong) June 30, 2018
Glad to be at the Boston #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch & be in the fight with thousands of people in MA & across the country to stop @realDonaldTrump’s appalling immigration policy. pic.twitter.com/oYFc92TDfy
— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) June 30, 2018
If you were looking for a sign from God, here’s one. #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch pic.twitter.com/LZrKLZKOXk
— Jennifer Wright (@JenAshleyWright) June 30, 2018
Helpless, caged children *still* don’t know if they’ll ever see their mothers again. This reckless Trump policy of family detention must stop.
Rise up for justice. Continue mobilizing because #FamiliesBelongTogether. We need you. #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch –NP pic.twitter.com/zDO7Nuaaxn
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) June 30, 2018
A round of “shames” at Foley Square directed at ICE headquarters. #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch pic.twitter.com/FqPzeZcYhn
— Jason Rosenberg (@mynameisjro) June 30, 2018