WASHINGTON – On the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’sexecutive order on travel ban, protesters have rallied in front of theWhite House under the banner of “No Muslim Ban EVER.”
A week after taking office, Trump signed an order on January 27, 2017,banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the UnitedStates.
The ban, which the administration said was for national security reasons,sparked mass protests in airports across the country and triggered swiftmoves by courts to block the order.
That nationwide backlash joined the ranks of the historic Women’s March inWashington, which rocked Trump’s inauguration and became a defining momentin organized opposition against the new administration.
Protesters on Saturday decried the ban, holding signs that read, “No MuslimBan” and “Refugees welcome.”link>
“We strongly condemn, like you, the racist and white supremacist beliefsreflected in President Trump’s remarks, actions and programs by this Muslimban, the cancelling of DACA, the labeling of Black Lives Matter as identityextremists — a false designation,” Robert McCaw of the Council onAmerican-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said at the protest.
“We will fight the white supremacy of this administration,” he added.
Trump has said the travel restrictions are needed to tighten security andprevent terrorist attacks. Opponents say the ban violates the USConstitution because it discriminates against Muslims and certainnationalities.
During the 2016 presidential race, Trump campaigned for “a total andcomplete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States on the pretext ofpreventing attacks.