On Wednesday, President Trump ordered a wall be built on the US-Mexico border, just as news broke that he planned to enforce the "Muslim ban" he pledged on the campaign trail.
People turned up at Washington Square Park in New York and chanted: "No ban, no wall, this is our New York."
#MuslimBan rally in #washingtonsquare chant: "No ban/No wall/This is our New York"
Scene:
At the same time, people started tweeting #NoBanNoWall – a hashtag founded by former Obama White House staffer Zaki Barzinji and activist Imraan Siddiqi.
#NoBanNoWall
Besides tweet, what can we do: 1) Contact your elected reps 2) Organize locally 3) Spread awareness 4) Support orgs resisting #NoBanNoWall
"Give me your tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free [unless I hate how they worship/look; then drown em]" #NoBanNoWall
Organisers of the Women's March tweeted about it.
IMMIGRANTS MAKE AMERICA GREAT #NoBanNoWall #HereToStay
Some Democratic members of Congress backed the hashtag.
.@POTUS I was once undocumented – now, I’m a member of Congress. #NoBanNoWall
America was founded on principles of religious freedom. Targeting Muslim immigrants sets a dangerous precedent. #NoBanNoWall
America was conceived as a "haven of refuge" for people fleeing religious & political persecution. #NoBanNoWall
.@POTUS I was once undocumented – now, I’m an Arizona State Representative. #NoBanNoWall
Academics also tweeted in protest.
I don’t want to live in an America that turns away those seeking refuge and barricades itself off from the rest of the world. #NoBanNoWall
Muslim activists and authors called for solidarity.
Now more than ever we need y'all to get loud for us... Where the allies at? Full video: https://t.co/Gembvq4UOS
Muslim Ban and Mexico wall will also embolden private violence against Muslim and Latinx citizens - more than merely policy. #nobannowall
My family fled Iran for a better life in US; No way I'm letting a #FakePresident keep others from same #NoBanNoWall… https://t.co/Ipe6HBhNIe
People of Mexican heritage tweeted their fear.
My grandpa was born to Mexican immigrants. He grew up, joined the Navy, was at Omaha Beach on D-Day, & will turn 92 in April #NoBanNoWall
i'm so scared for mexico. my family. my father. i cry thinking how it took 20 yrs for my father to obtain citizenship for this. #NoBanNoWall
People who had lost family members during the Holocaust said they would resist a ban on refugees and a wall.
During the Holocaust, fear of the vulnerable killed many in my family. I refuse to let this happen again. #NoBanNoWall
People of Japanese heritage said they could not forget the internment of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II.
We of Japanese descent have not forgotten. Our country must see each of us on American soil as fully human—and bett… https://t.co/ZR8uFf5Itk
Actor Mark Ruffalo tweeted his support for vulnerable minority groups.
Say #NoBanNoWall because immigrants, Muslims & refugees are #HereToStay. A part of our community:… https://t.co/4OYVSBVVHA
Others tweeted that Trump's executive orders cracking down on immigration was un-American.
This is not an American value. As a model for the world, we must be open and welcoming. Not close minded. #NoBanNoWall
https://twitter.com/knowitall_sivan/status/824449049013129218
I think that I shall never recall A view as ugly as a wall #NoBanNoWall
The hashtag and protests add to a chorus of alarm about Trump's executive actions expressed by activists, civil liberties groups and lawmakers.