Rational human beings living in America’s largest cities, tiniest towns, and more than 700 burgs in between came together Saturday in a nationwide day of action. The Families Belong Together rallies—some put together in less than 24 hours—were held in all 50 states, and united 16 countries across three continents. Few issues came up, though division did arise, and so did violence.
Still, the protests were fantastically attended, despite extreme temperatures plaguing much of the United States.
The big cities brought the big crowds.
You have to watch this video.
This one’s pretty amazing too.
The Windy City faced a heat index of over 100 degrees, like many cities.
But the crowds still showed up.
So many people.
Smaller cities came out, too; every protest had its power.
But enough about the cities! The resistance is everywhere. Including the tiniest, and often whitest, of towns.
The border towns weighed in too, including folks in McAllen, Texas.
On Twitter, this pissed-off grandma explained why she marched:
”My name is Dianne Norris. I live in Mission, Texas, right next to the border. I know what it’s really like down here and how scared and desperate the refugees are. Trump’s policy is cruelty personified and we ALL need to speak out against it.”
Symbolism abounded, as did plays on Melania Trump’s famously tone-deaf Zara jacket.
From collections of onesies to this display of ribbons, rallies honored the children taken from their parents.
Special guests showed up, too. Abe Lincoln made an appearance in Seattle.
Spicey found his way to his nearest rally.
And the signs were just so, so, so good.
This sign answers the age-old question: “But where are you really from?”
This sign here needs to be a t-shirt, and I need to buy that t-shirt.
These books were terrible, but I loved them as a child. These people are terrible, but I love this sign. Some things never change.
Speaking of babies...
Of course, the protests weren’t just about clever signage and sweaty crowds. These rallies told the stories of those who endure the realities that the Trump administration has forced upon them with these draconian immigration laws.
Listen to Leah. She’s a 12-year-old American citizen, who spends her waking hours wondering when ICE is going to come and take her beloved and undocumented parents.
Speakers focused both on the direct impact of this humanitarian crisis, and also approached it through an intersectional lens. Local issue explainers and voter registration drives mingled with hoarse cries to organize and chants of “Vote Them Out!”
There’s so much more that happened today, and so much more to be discussed, and left to do, but let’s finish with this.
Immigrant advocacy groups say they’re thrilled — and surprised — to see the issue gaining traction among those not tied to immigration.
“Honestly, I am blown away. I have literally never seen Americans show up for immigrants like this,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, political director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which represents nannies, housekeepers and caregivers, many of whom are immigrants. “We just kept hearing over and over again, if it was my child, I would want someone to do something.”
Let’s keep showing up.
