More than 2,000 people jammed Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Penn Square on Tuesday, the chanting crowd overflowing into other streets as the protest against Donald Trump’s Muslim ban grew. By some estimates the event, organized by Keystone Progress and other groups, was the biggest rally ever held there.
The action was one of many gatherings held in more than 120 cities and towns around the country as people continue to rise up against Trump’s bullying. A week earlier, more than 15,000 people nationwide participated in peaceful rallies outside hometown congressional offices. On this second round of #ResistTrumpTuesdays turnout grew due to outrage over Trump’s Muslim ban, his cabinet nominees and expectations for his Supreme Court pick.
People’s Action, Working Families Party and MoveOn.org are coordinating #ResistTrumpTuesdays. We plan to keep them up during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
“The protests show the incredible power of solidarity against Trump’s cruel, unilateral actions to discriminate against refugees and immigrants,” said LeeAnn Hall, co-director of People’s Action. “We will not stand by while Trump locks America’s doors to those fleeing persecution and violence.
“Attorneys general and governors are standing with us. People from all walks of life, some who have never protested before, are joining the #ResistTrumpTuesdays rallies and building momentum,” Hall said.
Protesters come from all walks of life. Some joined on their lunch hour or on their way home from work. They are determined to be visible and opposing Trump at every turn.
In Chicago, nearly 500 people gathered outside the offices of Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, both Democrats, to demand that the senators reject Betsy DeVos, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education. They crowded the sidewalks and chanted. Seven people were arrested.
"We can't sit back and let this happen," Maddie Tallman, with Fair Economy Illinois, told the Chicago Tribune. "Complacency would give the impression that we don't care, that we are even for what is happening, and we're not."
The protests are working. Senate Democrats this week boycotted votes on several of Trump’s nominees.
In West Virginia, protesters got a head start on their #ResistTrumpTuesdays action this week. West Virginia Citizen Action Group joined a delegation meeting with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V) in his office for an hour meeting about Trump’s immigration executive order. Meanwhile, 125 protesters occupied the sidewalk outside his office. The direct result: Manchin made a public statement the same afternoon opposing the executive order.
In Nevada, PLAN Action is co-sponsoring #ResistTrumpTuesdays actions in front of Senator Dean Heller’s office in Reno.
“Since last week our numbers have doubled, demonstrating the growing movement across Nevada to stand up against Trump’s policies that promote hate, bigotry and corporate greed,” said Ellen Moore, organizing director for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.
