In the Senate’s Hart Office Building in Washington hundreds protesters, mostly women,staged a non-violent action against Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on Thursday. Approximately 630 were arrested towards immigrants and separation of families at the border.
The Women’s March organized the act of nonviolent civil disobedience with the Center for Popular Democracy Action and CASA in Action. The protesters draped themselves in silver thermal blankets evoking images of migrant kids in shelters and chanted “Abolish ICE” and “We care.”
The Women’s March began Thursday morning with a march from Freedom Plaza to the Department of Justice, where protesters chanted outside the DOJ. From there, they headed to Congress for their act of civil disobedience.
The rallies are likely to get a further boost as a result of the announcement on Wednesday by Anthony Kennedy that he is retiring from the US supreme court, providing Trump with the chance to make a second ultra-conservative appointment to the nation’s highest court and prompting fears of a rollback of liberal protections.
Activists are putting pressure on the government to provide more information and speed up the family reunification process. More than 1,000 marched in Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday, pushing for family reunification and to stop jailing immigrants.
The Women’s March, in planning this event, had asked women if they were ready to risk arrest. “Civil disobedience is a strategic intentional tactic,” Linda Sarsour, co-chair of the Women’s March, said last week. “We have to be helpful to the people we claim to fight with and for.”
>Juthy Saha
Nearly 600 women arrested at immigration protests in Washington
Will You Support Our Work?
People turns to WhatsOn to understand what's goingOn? We have been empowering through hope & understanding for the last forty years. We’re an independent social enterprise & our journalism is powered by our supporters. Financial contributions from our readers allows us to keep our journalism free for all & to change the world for better. Please support us, with your donation - no matter how small. Your donation makes a real difference, it empowers our activist & academy, and engages wider community groups, & universities - connecting more people. WhatsOn is a change maker, let’s get our future back together!
