Airport Protests Continue For Second Day
Airlines & Airports Rich Thomaselli January 29, 2017
UPDATE, 9:34 p.m. ET Jan. 29: This story was updated to reflect additional comment from a protester at SFO.
Protests over President Trump’s immigration ban continued Sunday at airports around the country, this time in a more carefully organized manner than Saturday’s impromptu gatherings but with the same message:
Overturn the ban and allow refugees into the U.S.
Trump on Friday signed an executive order barring entry of refugees from Syria into the U.S., as well as citizens from predominantly Muslim countries known to be linked to terrorism – Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia – for at least 90 days.
The decision has been a polarizing one, to say the least.
Protesters hit the streets in front of the White House, at Boston’s Copley Square, Batter Park in Manhattan, and at airports in Raleigh-Durham, Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, Newark, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, among others.
Jessica Abrams was at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and told TravelPulse she estimated the crowd to be around 2,500 people as of 2:45 p.m. ET. She said police were monitoring the sidelines but everything seemed peaceful. In a text message, she wrote, “It’s a very diverse crowd. All ages, all nationalities and coming together in very good spirits.”
Photo by Jessica Abrams
Gillian Bergeron texted from the train to San Francisco International where she was planning on protesting, and said that every stop the train made brought more people onboard with signs at the ready.
By 8:27 p.m. ET, Bergeron was reporting via text message that crowds, "only seem to be getting bigger and bigger here," and that the security checkpoint at the international terminal was shut down. According to Bergeron, San Francisco police were blocking the security entrance and passengers trying to get in to make their flights were being turned away.
Photo by Gillian Bergeron
At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Chrystina Hoffman told TravelPulse that the airport was well-prepared with two locations for protesters. The scene was very laid-back, and if there was a police presence it was not overwhelming or noticeable.
Photo by Chrystina Hoffman
READ MORE: Stunned Travel Industry Reacts To Immigration Ban
Even politicians got involved in the protests.
There is something more important and powerful than all three branches of government. It is you – the people. #BatteryPark pic.twitter.com/FXVHlahxHB
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 29, 2017
According to USA Today, thousands turned out in Copley Square, many holding signs including "Brown and proud" and "No wall no ban."
"Can you hear us Washington?!" tweeted Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. "We’re standing strong in Boston to support & protect ALL of our people & we will not back down. #NoBanNoWall"
An estimated 5,000 gathered at the International Arrivals hall at Philadelphia International Airport. Officials at the airport say the crowd was so large, it filled the hall and forced protesters into the baggage claim area and out to the streets surrounding the airport and into a lane of traffic, disrupting passengers trying to leave.
It was a little less subdued in Minneapolis, where several hundred protested. Nonetheless, the protest spilled from outside into the terminal, where some airlines had to shut down ticket counters because of the noise.
TravelPulse Managing Editor Barry Kaufman and contributor Terry Bergeron contributed to this report.
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