Poughkeepsie Protests: No Ban, No Wall
Saturday, Feb. 4, protestors gathered at the Dutchess County Court House in Poughkeepsie to resist the Trump administration’s ban on immigrants and refugees entering the United States.
I had never attended a protest before, so when I got out of the car for the “No Ban No Wall” protest, I was both excited and unsure what to expect. How many people would be there? What would they be saying? Would they be upset if I tried to take their photo?
These questions were quickly answered. Hundreds of willing participants braved the cold Saturday afternoon to stand in solidarity with immigrants and refugees, particularly Muslims, being placed in jeopardy by the travel ban.
Protesters stood in front of the court house on Market Street, a section of which was blocked off for the safety of participants. Numerous chants echoed through the street, but my personal favorite was, “Sí, se puede!” which roughly translates to “Yes, we can!” in Spanish.
Gloved hands held signs, many of which condemned the president himself, but some had softer messages. A 7-year-old boy held one that said, “Famlies should be staying together always!” Others were humorous, such as, “Build a wall ‘round Trump and I’ll pay for it.” Others were lists of the many things that were invented or brought to America by Muslims.
Everyone I asked was more than happy to have their photo taken, proudly displaying their hand-made signs, some as simple as Sharpie marker on a flattened cereal box. They were also happy to engage in conversation about why they were there. One woman told me how excited she was to return next weekend for the defend Planned Parenthood march.
People from all over the Hudson Valley came to stand together. Locals and college students joined forces, and a Facebook event showed complete strangers offering each other rides to Poughkeepsie.
The overall mood of this protest, despite the temperature reaching a high of 20 degrees, if that, was overwhelmingly positive. Their fingers may have been frozen, but their voices were hopeful, and most of all they were determined to be heard.
