2 days ago
Protesters march in downtown Raleigh to rally against Trump immigration crackdown
At least 2,000 people marched through downtown Raleigh Wednesday evening to protest President Donald Trump's immigration policies and the ICE raids sparking unrest in Los Angeles.
Waving both American and Mexican flags, speaking both Spanish and English, the protesters chanted for 10 uninterrupted minutes in Moore Square, saying, 'No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!'
They carried signs that said 'Immigrants make America great' and 'They want our money, they want our labor, but they don't want us.'
'Trump is using his power to show his might for no good reason,' said Becky McElroy, a frequent protester downtown. 'He's shown that he's willing to do anything to ram over everybody — his own citizens now.'
The Raleigh demonstration was the second this week to show solidarity with protesters in Los Angeles. Monday, about 100 people gathered in Raleigh to call for the release of labor leader David Huerta, who had been arrested for allegedly interfering with federal officers.
Wednesday night in Raleigh, Victor Uruija spoke to the crowd through a bullhorn and said he was with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. He described himself as a proud immigrant from Michoacan in Mexico and called for unity in resisting the false label of immigrants as 'invaders.'
'It is ICE who goes into our communities and takes children away from their parents,' Uruija said. 'That's an invader. That's a terrorist.'
At 7 p.m., the group marched out of Moore Square into Hargett Street as horns honked from passing cars.
The crowd filled the street, forming a moving line opposition two blocks long. A snare drum banged a cadence while they chanted, 'Abolish ICE.'
As the crowd passed the bus station, a rider flashed a peace sign. As the group passed Marbles Kids Museum, a mother with children in her back seat screamed 'Idiots!'
Five Raleigh police officers followed on motorized bicycles.
Outside the Capitol, the protesters paused to decry Senate Bill 153, which would require four state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE agents and restrict state benefits for unauthorized immigrants.
The Republican-led North Carolina Senate passed the bill Tuesday along party lines along with another immigration bill, House Bill 318, sending both to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
They noted that the governor keeps an office inside the Capitol. Stein hasn't indicated how he will proceed with the bills, The N&O reported.
'What do we want from Gov. Stein?' Nicole Bracluk shouted into a microphone. 'Veto!'
Protests started around the country after ICE agents began immigration sweeps across Los Angeles Friday, triggering protests there. Video of those events showed protesters vandalizing buildings and throwing bottles at police, who in turn responded in riot gear, confronting them with tear gas launchers and batons, according to ABC News.
Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday — a first without consent from a state governor since President Lyndon Johnson's move to protect civil rights activists in Alabama in 1965.
Soon after, Trump deployed 700 Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops, triggering a lawsuit from California against the president's administration. A curfew has since been enacted in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Trump spoke at Fort Bragg Tuesday, telling the assembled troops, 'This anarchy will not stand.'
In Raleigh on Wednesday night, the rally and march remained peaceful for more than two hours, attracting people as it moved along. As the crowd ended back in Moore Square, the demonstrators mingled and danced until night fall.
'I think it went really well,' said Rosa Valenzuela, pushing a stroller and carrying an American flag while people danced in a circle. 'I'm glad to see the young people. We get a lot of young people because their parents are afraid. ICE. They're representing their parents.'
As she spoke, a cheer rose while 'La Puerta Negra' began playing on a portable speaker.
Anti-Trump protests will continue this weekend in Raleigh and around the country. 'No Kings' rallies are scheduled to coincide with a military parade in Washington, DC, but they have evolved in purpose as immigration raids ramp up in major cities.
Raleigh's 'No Kings' protest is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6101 Capital Blvd, between Old Wake Forest Road and Oak Forest Drive.
