EAST VILLAGE — Hundreds of protesters gathered again Monday night, this time rallying in Tompkins Square Park to denounce President Donald Trump's refugee ban that has left dozens detained in John F. Kennedy Airport this past weekend.
Local elected officials, religious leaders and community organizers spoke out against the executive order which stops immigrants coming from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
They slammed it as discriminatory and unconstitutional, leading the crowd in chants such as "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here."
"No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here" pic.twitter.com/bmZASbyqoe
— Allegra Hobbs (@AllegraEHobbs) January 31, 2017
Councilwoman Rosie Mendez organized the rally in response to Trump's action on Friday, which banned refugees from Syria indefinitely and from other countries for 120 days, but also temporarily barred entry to permanent U.S. residents and visa holders from the countries listed in the ban — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Protesters swarmed JFK on Saturday evening to protest the detainment of more than 40 travelers, all of whom have since been released. Nine more travelers were being held in the airport on Monday afternoon, according to lawyers.
More than 500 people attended Monday's rally at the park, according to a representative for Mendez. The NYPD reported no arrests.
The imam of a local mosque strongly condemned Trump's ban, stating the president lives in an "alternative reality" and has gone against the constitution by signing the order.
"Mr. President, you want to ban people based on their color, based on their nationality, based on their faith and religion — it's completely inhuman and unconstitutional," said Imam Abu Sufian of nearby Madina Masjid at East 11th Street and First Avenue.
Sufian was joined by Christian and Jewish leaders who encouraged community members to join together in love to combat discrimination — one leader, Pastor Phil Trzynka of the Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Church, said he realized the need to rally together when he discovered on Sunday morning that a vandal had smeared dog feces on a sign outside the building declaring: "Immigrants welcome here."
"I know I've got to start telling the message more, louder, clearer, that the one thing I know about God, the one thing I believe about God, is that God actually doesn't run away from s---, God runs into the middle of s--- to change it," said Trzynka.
"And God changes s--- by loving every single person, every single thing.
"Love is what it takes, but love needs legs. It needs my legs, it needs our legs, it needs our hands, it needs our mouth. Love needs every part of us to work [for] justice for all."
Public Advocate Letitia James, one of several elected officials to speak at the rally, called on community members in the park to continue protesting and resisting Trump's administration.
"We've got an obligation and a duty whenever confronted with a lawless government to rise up and resist, and to let individuals know that you're the fourth branch of government — it's the people united who will never be defeated," said James.
"This is what democracy looks like" pic.twitter.com/0RYvPcja4A
— Allegra Hobbs (@AllegraEHobbs) January 31, 2017
