#NoBanNoWall: A Week of D.C. Protests Against Trump’s Immigration Ban

Lauryn Gutierrez
D.C. community organizers—led by the Muslim American Women’s Policy Forum—rallied in Freedom Plaza on Thursday, January 26 to demand that local politicians stand up “in support of the refugee community in D.C. and to stand against Islamophobia as manifested in these executive orders.” Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
“What color is your respect?” Protesters in Freedom Plaza watch the crowd grow as dusk falls over D.C. on January 26, 2017. Many believe Trump’s policies target not only communities of Islamic faith, but also those of immigrants and LGBTQ people. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Thousands of people gathered on Sunday, January 29, outside the White House to stand in solidarity with refugees and immigrants targeted by the Trump administration. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) leads a chant of “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here!” after her remarks to the crowd. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
A crowd marches for #NoBanNoWall on January 29, pouring down 15th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue toward the U.S. Capitol chanting “The people, united, will never be divided!” Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
At least a thousand people scrapped their plans to march to the U.S. Capitol to protest, settling instead in front of the Trump Hotel on January 30. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
After observing from a distance for over an hour, police move in to reinforce the barrier between the massive crowd and the front steps of Trump Hotel on January 29. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
On January 29, protesters remain seated outside the front of Trump Hotel despite the presence of the police. Drumming and chanting kept the crowd energetic—and very loud. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
This Iranian-American woman climbed the steps of Trump Hotel during the protest on January 29. Iran is one of the seven countries from which immigration will be severely restricted under Trump’s executive order. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) led a vigil and press conference at the Supreme Court on January 30. Before remarks began, they led the crowd in singing the American classic, “This Land Is Your Land.” Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Sen. Al Franken’s (D-MN) state has the largest Somali population in the country. Somalia is one of the countries listed in Trump’s travel ban. “In Minnesota, our Somalis are Americans, and we vote them homecoming queen!” Franken said, sharing a story of a Minnesota family he came to know. “This executive order is wrong, and worse than that, it’s dangerous to everyone around the world. This is not America.” Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Following the remarks of many Democratic leaders, a woman stands between the U.S. Capitol, pictured behind her, and the Supreme Court, as the crowd gathered near the steps roars in resistance to President Trump: "We will not go away, welcome to your tenth day!" Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Amid the #NoBanNoWall events this week, leaders from the historic Women’s March on Washington held a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on January 31, opposing Trump’s nominations of Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (R-AL) for U.S. Attorney General and Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
On February 1, Gold Star father Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun Khan was killed in action while serving in Iraq, spoke at a press conference as a guest of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who called Khizr Khan the "greatest patriot" he's ever known. Khan had a strong message for President Trump: “Your children’s mothers are immigrants! Don’t you have any concern for immigration to this country? I speak ... for the children and the families stranded at the airports …. The president cannot act based on malice. His malice was proven when he was using his prerogative to issue this executive order ... by his conversation with Rudy Giuliani: ‘I want to create a Muslim ban, tell me a legal way.’ In the court of law, it is called trying to deceive our legal system, trying to deceive our Constitution. It will not stand.” Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire

This past week featured a flurry of activism following the executive orders of President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. Those orders immediately halted refugee admissions to the United States, banned entry of people from several Muslim majority countries, and toughened screening procedures for immigrants—commonly interpreted as an anti-Muslim ban. Citizens and politicians joined human rights advocacy organizations at the White House, Trump Hotel, U.S. Capitol, and the steps of the Supreme Court to say: #NoBanNoWall.

Rewire was on the ground to bring you a glimpse of the recent resistance in D.C.