People Protest Trump’s National Emergency For A Border Wall On Presidents Day
People took to the streets in cities across the country on Presidents Day to protest against President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration to build his border wall.
On Monday, demonstrators marched in cities from Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Austin, Texas, carrying signs declaring “Trump is the emergency” and chanting things like “Love, not hate, makes America great.” Thousands of people joined more than 260 rallies across 48 states, according to nonprofit group MoveOn, which organized the protests.
“Trump has declared a #FakeNationalEmergency — an illegal power grab from an unhinged man to push his racist, dangerous policies,” MoveOn’s website read, adding that the protests were “against Trump’s fake crisis and racist deportation force and to stand with immigrant, Muslim, and Black and brown communities to stop Trump’s dangerous and illegal power grab.”
Trump declared a national emergency Friday, aiming to divert billions of dollars from the Defense Department and other earmarked government funds to construct a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
He announced his declaration a day after Congress passed a bill to avert another government shutdown; the legislation did not include more than $5 billion Trump wanted for a border wall.
In December his demands for wall funding led to a record-long partial government shutdown, which left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay for weeks.
On Monday, people braved the cold in states like New York, Maine and Ohio to carry signs calling for “No wall, offer asylum” and deeming the declaration a “Trumped up crisis.”
Great crowd for the protest of this fake national emergency. Honored to speak with my brothers and sisters to fight this fraud. pic.twitter.com/tB5D81fmge
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) February 18, 2019
“We don’t need any more racist monuments in the United States. We don’t need need Trump’s racist wall.” #FakeNationalEmergency pic.twitter.com/SoGIQhCzK2
— PFAW (@peoplefor) February 18, 2019
People gathered to protest a #FakeEmergency from a #FakePresident pic.twitter.com/sAtScgyLcX
— Angel Padilla (@AngelRafPadilla) February 18, 2019
Some Democratic lawmakers tweeted support of the demonstrations, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), who called the “fake” national emergency “fearmongering of the worst kind.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) attended a protest in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
.@AyannaPressley: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty!”
YES! ✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/UcM7dquNmb— Jordan Meehan 🏳️🌈 (@JordanMeehan) February 18, 2019
Starting Friday, lawsuits began rolling in against Trump’s declaration, largely arguing that he cannot legally use the emergency declaration to evade funding limits imposed by Congress.
On Monday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said that about a dozen states were joining to file a lawsuit challenging the declaration. “We’re going to try to halt the President from violating the Constitution, the separation of powers, from stealing money from Americans and states that has been allocated by Congress, lawfully,” Becerra told CNN.
Check out images from the President’s Day protests nationwide against Trump’s declaration:
D.C.
Max Socol of @jewishaction: “We will build this world with love because, more than anything else in this world, the love that comes from solidarity is stronger than authoritarianism.” #FakeNationalEmergency pic.twitter.com/spDsr30v4G
— PFAW (@peoplefor) February 18, 2019
Colorado
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Happening now: Hundreds of Coloradans marching in freezing temps at the state Capitol to protest the #FakeNationalEmergency. @peoplepower pic.twitter.com/Yre8mS1oLl
— ACLU of Colorado (@ACLUofColorado) February 18, 2019
Illinois
Protest at Federal Plaza now #FakeNationalEmergency #Chicago #PresidentsDayProtest pic.twitter.com/7c4OrFaFO1
— Joyce Takako (@JoyceTakako) February 18, 2019
Maine
This is a #FakeNationalEmergency @SenAngusKing @SenatorCollins @RepGolden #NoWall #NoEmergency pic.twitter.com/AF0Fq4vNAU
— Indivisible_MDI (@Indivisible_MDI) February 18, 2019
Michigan
About 120 ppl marching through downtown Ann Arbor right now in protest of #FakeTrumpEmergency pic.twitter.com/HDsf6Ct8Bf
— Lauren(Fitch)Slagter (@LaurenSlagter) February 18, 2019
New York
Hanley Federal Building in Syracuse. We’re saying no to Trump’s #FakeNationalEmergency pic.twitter.com/G2ScrRDa1z
— Indivisible NY 24th (@IndivisibleNY24) February 18, 2019
New Jersey
Newark rejects the #FAKENationalEmergency! #PresidentsDay #FakeTrumpEmergency pic.twitter.com/bL4sNwdgbe
— Andrea Long (@JCmrytylermoore) February 18, 2019
North Carolina
Love not hate, makes America great.
Raleigh, North Carolina #PresidentsDayProtests #FakeTrumpEmergency #FakeNationalEmergency pic.twitter.com/JjGLgc1mCi— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) February 18, 2019
Ohio
In #ButlerCountyOH joining thousands of our fellow citizens around the USA to protest the #FakeTrumpEmergency. @IndivisibleOH8 pic.twitter.com/1KrTZx4hAC
— carole katz (@carole_katz) February 18, 2019
Pennsylvania
Philly joining 200+ cities in protest of the #FakeTrumpEmergency. (w/ Octavius Catto, of course). @MoveOn @CREDOMobile @HIASrefugees pic.twitter.com/pEO2CogJtg
— Rebecca Kirzner (@KirzBecka) February 18, 2019
Virginia
#PresidentsDayProtest at the free speech wall in #Charlottesville VA! #FakeTrumpEmergency pic.twitter.com/mfNOJ9vu1b
— Ann Lewis (@ann_lewis) February 18, 2019
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.