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Thousands march against Trump as president mulls supreme court pick Thousands march against Trump as president mulls supreme court pick
(about 1 hour later)
On the morning of mass protests against his government, Donald Trump attacked “radical left” Democrats campaigning to disband Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), a government agency centrally involved in the policy of separating undocumented immigrant families at the southern border. Shortly before mass protests against his government began in cities and towns across the US on Saturday, Donald Trump said “radical left” Democrats were behind calls to disband Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), the agency central to the president’s policy of separating undocumented immigrant families at the southern border.
“To the great and brave men and women of ICE,” Trump tweeted, “do not worry or lose your spirit. You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements. So brave! The radical left Dems want you out. Next it will be all police. Zero chance, It will never happen!” The protests, originally organised to oppose the separations policy, expanded to express opposition to Trump’s entire agenda. In many cities, protesters were addressed by senior figures in the Democratic party.
Trump’s hardline immigration policy is a central pillar of his appeal to his supporters ahead of November’s midterm elections. “To the great and brave men and women of Ice,” Trump tweeted, “do not worry or lose your spirit. You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements. So brave! The radical left Dems want you out. Next it will be all police. Zero chance, It will never happen!”
It is also key to motivating opposition to the president and his party – a fact Trump acknowledged in an excerpt from a Fox Business interview due to be broadcast on Sunday, saying he hoped Democrats would stay focused on the issue, “because they’re going to get beaten so bad”. Trump’s immigration policy is a central pillar of his appeal to his supporters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
On Saturday, as large parts of the US sweltered under a heatwave, crowds gathered in towns and cities across the country for what were expected to be more than 750 protests. It is also key to motivating opposition to the president and his party – a fact Trump acknowledged in a Fox Business interview to be broadcast on Sunday, saying he hoped Democrats would stay focused on the issue, “because they’re going to get beaten so bad”.
A large crowd was expected in Washington DC, where this week almost 600 activists – the actor Susan Sarandon among them – were arrested at a Senate office building. Crowds duly gathered in Lafayette Square park, across from the White Hous. Organised by MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of other groups, the Families Belong Together march featured star speakers Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys and America Ferrera. On Saturday, as large parts of the US sweltered under a heatwave, large crowds gathered to express the opposite hope.
In Washington DC, a crowd gathered in Lafayette Square, across from the White House. Organised by MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of other groups, the Families Belong Together march featured the star speakers Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys and America Ferrera.
Miranda sang a lullaby, Dear Theodosia, from his hit musical Hamilton. Many in the audience sang along, emphasising the refrain: “Someday, someday.”
John Holland of Takoma Park, Maryland, was among a group of Buddhist-affiliated protesters who held hands, sang and played a Tibetan singing bowl as an early speaker described the “amazing effect it can have on everyone if we move slowly”. Asked why he had decided to brave the 95F (35C) heat, he quipped: “Peer pressure.”John Holland of Takoma Park, Maryland, was among a group of Buddhist-affiliated protesters who held hands, sang and played a Tibetan singing bowl as an early speaker described the “amazing effect it can have on everyone if we move slowly”. Asked why he had decided to brave the 95F (35C) heat, he quipped: “Peer pressure.”
Like many present, Holland attended the Women’s March on the National Mall in January 2017. The capital has turned into a site of major anti-Trump protest, including the March for Science last year and more recently a student-led pro-gun control effort, the March for Our Lives. On Saturday, downtown New York City also saw a major protest, as did Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Boston. Senator Elizabeth Warren and the congressman Joe Kennedy III addressed the Boston rally. Like many present, Holland attended the Women’s March on the National Mall in January 2017. The capital has turned into a site of major protest, including the March for Science last year and more recently a student-led pro-gun control effort, the March for Our Lives. On Saturday, downtown New York also saw a major rally, as did Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Boston and other big cities. Senator Elizabeth Warren and the congressman Joe Kennedy III addressed the Boston crowd.
Trump was not in the White House on Saturday, having travelled to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He was expected to begin interviewing candidates to replace Anthony Kennedy, the supreme court justice who announced his retirement this week. Trump was not at the White House, having travelled to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he was expected to begin interviewing candidates to replace Anthony Kennedy, the supreme court justice who announced his retirement this week.
The protests against Trump were also focusing on that supreme court pick, which is expected to turn the court sharply to the right, placing in jeopardy rulings such as Roe v Wade, the 1973 opinion which guarantees the right to abortion. This week, the court upheld Trump’s travel ban against Muslim-majority countries and handed down a ruling that dealt a heavy blow to unionised labour. The protests were also focusing on that supreme court pick, which is expected to turn the court sharply to the right, placing in jeopardy rulings such as Roe v Wade, the 1973 opinion which guarantees the right to abortion. This week, the court upheld Trump’s travel ban against Muslim-majority countries and dealt a heavy blow to unionised labour.
“This is an all hands on deck, stop the madness moment,” national protest organiser Ai-jen Poo told the Guardian before the marches began. “It’s not a red or blue thing … what you are seeing is the downright refusal to accept this administration’s policies.” “This is an all hands on deck, stop the madness moment,” the national protest organiser Ai-jen Poo told the Guardian. “It’s not a red or blue thing … what you are seeing is the downright refusal to accept this administration’s policies.”
The Women’s March organiser Linda Sarsour said she thought “news of the Kennedy retirement really shook people up” and said: “This administration is not to be trusted.” Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order stopping the separations policy, after intense public outcry over images and recordings of children held in cages at federal facilities.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order stopping the separations policy, after intense public outcry over images and recordings of unaccompanied children held in cages at federal facilities. But the order was unclear and Trump has been criticised for its lack of a plan to reunite around 2,000 children with their parents. The administration is now claiming the right to detain immigrant families indefinitely, sidestepping a 1997 court settlement that limits how long children can be held.
But the order was unclear and the administration has been criticised for its lack of a plan to reunite more than 2,300 children with their parents. The Trump administration is claiming the right to detain immigrant families indefinitely, sidestepping a 1997 court settlement that limits how long children can be held. Around 2,000 children brought across the Mexican border without documentation are still in government custody. In Washington on Saturday, Kate Earle of Maryland held a “Make The Handmaid’s Tale fiction again” sign. She told the Guardian: “Reunification of families is a start but locking them up together is not a solution.”
In Washington on Saturday, Kate Earle of Maryland held a “Make The Handmaid’s Tale Fiction Again” sign. She told the Guardian “reunification of families is a start but locking them up together is not a solution”. In Indianapolis, thousands gathered outside the seat of government in the home state of Vice-President Mike Pence. As people cheered, Mahri Irvine, a 35-year-old anthropologist, spoke to the Guardian by phone.
In Indianapolis, “thousands” gathered outside the seat of government in the home state of Vice-President Mike Pence. As people cheered in the background, Mahri Irvine, a 35-year-old anthropologist, spoke to the Guardian by phone.
“Our country is really, really close to the edge of the abyss of just committing some serious human rights violations,” she said. “In fact, we have already. To me, it’s upsetting if people don’t have that level of imagination to think – how would I feel if I had to flee a violent country, and I was incarcerated, and my children were taken away from me?”“Our country is really, really close to the edge of the abyss of just committing some serious human rights violations,” she said. “In fact, we have already. To me, it’s upsetting if people don’t have that level of imagination to think – how would I feel if I had to flee a violent country, and I was incarcerated, and my children were taken away from me?”
Protests were also held in other countries. In London, dozens of Americans gathered outside the new US embassy. In New York, Lorette and Tim Maxwell had brought their five year-old daughter. “We’ve been trying to teach Penelope but it’s difficult to explain to her,” Tim said. “Like if a cop knocked on the door and took away mommy … How do you explain that to a child?”
Pressure on Ice has also come from within. Nineteen senior agents this week sent an open letter to Kirstjen Nielsen, Trump’s homeland security secretary, saying it should be disbanded. The investigators said Trump’s immigration crackdown was interfering with the agency’s work against transnational criminal groups, and suggested Ice be split into two organisations. “There are kids in foster care here in New York City,” said Lorette. “And the fact that the federal government’s not letting the mayor of NYC, not letting the governor, not letting any officials see what’s going on or giving them any information, that’s pretty scary.”
Trump’s reference to “radical left Dems” may have been inspired by the victory in a New York Democratic primary this week of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old who defeated Joe Crowley, a senior House figure, and will stand for election to Congress in November. She added: “Everybody thought Trump was a joke but he is not a joke.”
Ocasio-Cortez describes herself as a democratic socialist and campaigned on a platform that included the abolition of Ice. Trump’s reference to “radical left Dems” may have been inspired by the victory in a New York Democratic primary this week of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old who beat Joe Crowley, a senior House figure, and will stand for election to Congress in November. Ocasio-Cortez describes herself as a democratic socialist and campaigned on a platform that included the abolition of Ice.
Pressure on Ice has also come from within. Nineteen senior agents this week sent an open letter to Kirstjen Nielsen, Trump’s homeland security secretary, saying it should be disbanded. The investigators said Trump’s immigration crackdown was interfering with the agency’s work against transnational criminal groups.
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