Protestor’s have gathered in St Helen’s square in a bid to voice their disagreement with President Trumps Muslim ban, before marching through the city.
Residents of York carried out the unplanned march yesterday after hundreds of protestors gathered to hear speakers including Rachel Maskell, MP for York Central, as well as student representatives and veteran campaigners.
Media student Reece Dunn had this to say about Donald Trump on the day: “We all thought it was a joke, and now it’s real and funnily enough everything that he said he was gonna do, he’s doing and now people are angry… I’ve never been to a march before, this is the first thing I’ve ever felt strongly about.”
Labelled an ‘emergency demonstration’, York Momentum (the organisers) asked members of public to arrive for 5.00 PM to display signs and their discontent with the actions of the Trump administration. The triggered factor being the 90-day immigration ban brought in by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that blocked citizens from 7 Middle Eastern, Muslim countries.
Speaking to a crowd of several hundred, Ms Maskell and her fellow speakers voiced their own belief in freedom of speech and movement. According to the Momentum York Facebook page, more than 750 people will have heard them over the duration of the rally. With a further 978 having expressed an interest in attending through the Facebook event created by Momentum.
The York Press places the number of protestors at 500 in the square at the peak of the event.
Signs and banners were out in strength for the rally, with one protestor taking even wearing a jacket with the words “F**k Trump” written on the back.
One American protestor had this to say: “I’m an immigrant, I’m very proud to be an immigrant. My family live in Liverpool, they have done for eight years and I just kind of feel that if I wasn’t from America I may not have been allowed here… I’m embarrassed to be American when people [talk to me about Trump]… tolerance, you just have to be a tolerant human being.”
York Momentum’s emergency protest happened at the same time as dozens of others carried out across the UK this week.