Thousands march on Mar-a-Lago to protest Trump's Muslim ban
About three thousand protesters have rallied near President Donald Trump's Florida estate to voice their outrage at his executive order shutting the nation’s doors to citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries.
The demonstration began with a rally outside Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach on Saturday and proceeded with a march to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's "Winter White House," where the president and his wife Melania were attending the annual Red Cross fundraiser.
The protesters shouted slogans against Trump and set up a flag-covered casket they said represented "the death of democracy" in the United States.
Several hundred people crossed a bridge in the evening and rallied in front of Mar-a-Lago, where they were met with two dozen police officers in riot gear. However, no arrests were made.
"It is time for all of us to stand up and shout and say 'We are not going to let you take our rights,'" Erica Rudolph, a West Palm Beach resident, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying. She held a placard reading, "Too many issues for just one sign."
In an executive order issued on January 27, Trump imposed a 90-day entry ban on nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The action also suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days, except for Syrian refugees who were banned indefinitely.
A federal judge suspended the ban on Friday. The Justice Department said Saturday it was appealing the ruling and Trump vowed to win the case.
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The protest in West Palm Beach, which was organized by Women's March Florida and South Florida Activism, was one of several rallies staged across the country on Saturday.
In Washington earlier in the day, hundreds of people marched from the White House to the US Capitol, expressing solidarity with those affected by Trump's immigration order.
"I'm worried for the future of our children... our grandchildren, what's going to happen now?" Diane Spencer, who participated in the march, told AFP. "I'm worried about everything. He thinks he can do whatever he wants... the man is a mad man."
Protest rallies were also held in the cities of Denver, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and St. Louis.
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