In January and February 2017, during

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...

s against Executive Order 13769, thousands of people gathered at various airports in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and around the world to prevent the returning of refugees and other visitors from seven countries considered to be unsafe. According to various sources, more than two thousand people were at the protest at John F. Kennedy International Airport in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

with other protests appearing at significant international airports and other important sites around the United States. Protests continued daily and internationally through February 6. Protests also continued after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against parts of the travel ban.

Background

On January 27, President Trump signed an executive order which created a suspension of admissions of all refugees entering the United States for 120 days and an indefinite block for Syrian refugees. The order also blocked citizens from

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

from entering the U.S. for 90 days. Green card holders from these countries were also affected. Approximately 27 air passengers coming into airports around the United States were either detained or sent home on January 28. By January 29, an estimated 375 travelers had been affected by the order. Two Iraqi detainees were released from the JFK airport, and as of 6p.m. (local) 11 remained. On January 29, there were still two detainees left inside the airport. One was Hameed Jhalid Darweesh, an Iraqi interpreter for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. Darweesh was held for twelve hours without being allowed to see his lawyers. Two elderly and disabled Iranian citizens with green cards were detained for hours at

Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Eastern United States, loc ...

. President Trump told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) that

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

refugees will be given priority in terms of refugee status in the United States.

Protests

The first protest started at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Protests quickly started at other airports nationwide, including Chicago's

O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...

(LAX),

San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is an international airport in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, south of Downtown San Francisco. It has flights to points throughout North America and is a major gateway to Europe, the Middle E ...

, Seattle's SeaTac Airport, and in airports in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, Hartford,

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

. Also planned were

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, Orlando, Greenville and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Protesters were mobilized mainly through the use of

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

. Protests and walkouts continued in February. On February 2, thousands of

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

employees in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Washington, D.C ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and

Sunnyvale Sunnyvale () is a city located in the Santa Clara Valley in northwest Santa Clara County in the U.S. state of California. Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real and Highway 101 and is bordered by portions of San Jose to the north ...

walked off the job in protest of the executive order. A later series of protests occurred in Europe and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

on February 4.

New York City

The protest started January 28, with a small group of around thirty people sometime near 11 a.m. EST. Protesters gathered in front of Terminal 4, where international arrivals take place. As advocacy groups, such as the New York Immigration Coalition, called out to protesters on social media, the crowd grew. The protesters were gathered to denounce Trump's executive order and to show support for refugees and immigrants. The demonstration grew large enough by sunset that it spread into the parking deck near the terminal. Demonstrators brought signs, chanted slogans and called the action a "Muslim ban". The protesters marched from terminal to terminal. Throughout the day, state representatives,

Nydia Velázquez Nydia Margarita Velázquez Serrano (born March 28, 1953) is a politician serving in the United States House of Representatives since 1993. A Democrat from New York, Velázquez chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus until January 3, 2011. Her ...

and Jerry Nadler were present to help constituents affected by the ban. A companion protest sprang up on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

in the evening, taking place in Port Richmond. Another protest took place at Battery Park on Sunday.

Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer and global health advocate. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ...

was one of the protesters at that location. There were several thousand protesters at Battery Park. Protests continued at the JFK airport on Sunday as well. Other groups involved in the protest included Make the Road New York,

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) is an American left-wing non-profit grassroots Jewish organization. JFREJ describes itself as a "movement to dismantle racism and economic exploitation" and is based in New York City. It operates bot ...

(JFREJ), Black Latino Asian Caucus members. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society ( HIAS) was also involved in the protests, having expressed anger that the executive order, which would have harmed the prospects of Muslim refugees, was signed on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and groups of Jews broke Sabbath to join the protests. From 6to 7p.m.,

taxi drivers A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) stopped picking up passengers at the JFK airport in protest of those detained. The taxi boycott resulted in increase

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...

pricing as a result of its dynamic pricing model. In the evening, the police were turning away anyone without airplane tickets from using the AirTrain. After 8p.m., Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...

asked that people be allowed to board the Air Train once again. Late in the evening on January 28,

Ann Donnelly Ann Marie Donnelly (born 1959) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Education Donnelly received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 from the University of Michigan and a Juri ...

, a Federal District court judge in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

for the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (in case citations, E.D.N.Y.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction spans five counties in New York State: the four Long Island counties of Nassau, S ...

, blocked part of the executive order, "providing immediate relief to dozens stranded at airports around the country." In the

U.S. District Courts The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, similar rulings were made. This emergency stay will allow affected individuals with valid

visas Visa most commonly refers to: * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allo ...

to stay in the US. However, lawyers from the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

and Zachary Manfredi from Yale's Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic caution that individuals detained at the airports could still be transferred to different detention facilities. Reports coming from midnight, January 28, indicated that Legal Aid lawyers were still not given access to clients being held inside of JFK. In Brooklyn, demonstrators waited outside the Federal District court as the case was being decided. Additionally, two Iraqi men who had been detained have filed

lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...

s on January 28 against both Trump and the United States government over the issue. President Donald Trump was quoted as saying that his executive order's ban is "working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over." Former New York City mayor

Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...

said President Trump had come to him for guidance over the ruling, which Giuliani described as a "Muslim ban". ATL Muslim Ban Protest (32476634201)

Atlanta

On January 29, about two thousand people gathered outside of the domestic terminal at

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...

to protest the ban and the detention of 11 airplane passengers taken into custody the previous day. The detained individuals included a 10-year-old girl and an elderly woman.

Civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

activist John Lewis and Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams participated in the protest. Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed was also on site to speak to the media, although he did not join the demonstration. During the protest, Reed announced that the 11 people detained at the airport had been released.

California

The protest in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

initially saw around 200 protesters on Saturday. Protesters marched and chanted, growing to 400 people by 7:30 p.m., when word came that Federal judges had stayed the executive order. Seven people had been detained in the LAX because of the executive order. Attorneys specializing in immigration law created a "makeshift office" in the Bradley Terminal to help travelers in need. Jan 29, 2017, Two Jewish Bros Muslim Ban Protest

Jan 29, 2017, Two Jewish Bros Muslim Ban Protest

The protest at the Los Angeles International Airport grew to thousands of people who filled the Tom Bradley International Terminal and spilling out to the street. Jan

The local

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

station said about four thousand protesters were there again to protest on Sunday. A smaller group of counter-protesters also showed up at the airport, and the resulting clash caused the road next to Terminal 3 to be shut down for an hour. Later on Sunday, World Way was blocked when protesters sat down and refused to move until all people detained in the airport were released. By 10p.m. two protesters had been arrested for blocking traffic, then cited and released. Los Angeles Mayor

Eric Garcetti Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 Los An ...

promised the city would be a refuge for all people. Because of the protest, some travelers leaving Los Angeles missed their flights. On Sunday, protesters in

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

started demonstrating in Terminal B of the

Sacramento International Airport Sacramento International Airport is located northwest of Downtown Sacramento in Sacramento County, California, United States and covers . It serves the Sacramento Metropolitan Area, and it is run by the Sacramento County Airport System. The a ...

. The city's mayor, Darrell Steinberg, was on hand and said, "Mr. Trump, we will fight you every step of the way." Some Sacramento protesters were heckled by those who agreed with the executive order. At the

(SFO), about a thousand protesters showed up in support of refugees. Initially, US Customs and Border Protection denied holding any travellers at the airport. Five travellers had been detained and each was released by Sunday afternoon. The protest blocked the International arrival area in front of the airport and closed the street. California Lieutenant Governor

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...

and

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

co-founder Sergey Brin attended the SFO protest. Around 60 people had gathered by 6am Sunday morning to demonstrate at SFO. By noon the crowd had returned to its earlier size of around a thousand protesters.

saw two days of protest at the San Diego International Airport. On Sunday there were about a thousand protesters at Terminal2 around 5p.m. Googleplex protest, 20170130-2

On January 30 about two thousand employees of

staged a protest in the company's headquarters,

Googleplex The Googleplex is the corporate headquarters complex of Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc. It is located at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California. The original complex, with of office space, is the company's second la ...

in Mountain View, as well as seven of its other offices. On February 4, thousands of protesters attended a rally at

San Francisco Civic Center The Civic Center in San Francisco, California, is an area located a few blocks north of the intersection of Market Street and Van Ness Avenue that contains many of the city's largest government and cultural institutions. It has two large plazas ( ...

Chicago

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, hundreds of protesters showed up at

to protest the detention of 17 travelers. By Saturday night, there were more than a thousand people present and traffic was shut down near Terminal 5. Eighteen travelers had been detained Saturday; all were finally released. On Sunday, at least another 50 were kept for additional questioning. Mayor

Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...

, Representatives

Jan Schakowsky Janice Schakowsky ( ; née Danoff; born May 26, 1944) is an American politician who has served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from since 1999. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat ...

and

Elaine Nekritz Elaine Nekritz (born December 11, 1957) is an American attorney and politician. She served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 57th District from 2001 to 2017. She was formerly the Democratic Committ ...

were there to support the demonstration. Protests at O'Hare slowed down somewhat during the day on Sunday only to begin again both inside and outside around 6p.m. By 7p.m. there were hundreds of protesters at the airport.

Detroit

January 2017 DTW emergency protest against Muslim ban - 02

January 2017 DTW emergency protest against Muslim ban - 40

People and organizations in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

organized a protest on January 29 at the Metropolitan Airport which drew an estimated 2,500 prostestors. Hundreds turned out in protests in the nearby suburbs of Dearborn and Hamtramck, which have significant Muslim American and immigrant populations. Protesters demonstrated as snow fell and the ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' reported that their voices "could be above the roar of jet engines." The airport's Authority Public Safety team coordinated with protest organizers to ensure the protest would be safe and that the demonstrators could be heard. No one was arrested.

Indianapolis

In Indianapolis, author John Green, Representative Andre Carson, and Senator Joe Donnelly attended a protest at Indianapolis International Airport.

Maine

On January 29, more than two thousand protesters, including the mayor and other officials and politicians, gathered at the airport in Portland to protest the travel ban. A smaller rally was also held in Bangor.Trump protests in Maine airports

Massachusetts

Mayor Marty Walsh and Senator

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...

joined the protest in Boston at the

Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...

. In

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(MIT), around 200 students staged a demonstration on Sunday in solidarity with classmates like engineering student, Niki Mossafer Rahmati, who were affected by the ban.

Ohio

About a thousand protesters in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

demonstrated at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Sunday. On Monday, January 30, protesters against the executive order in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

were sprayed with pepper spray by police when they would not disperse. There were hundreds of demonstrators on Monday night which started at the Statehouse.

Orlando

About a thousand people held a demonstration at 1:30 p.m. inside the

Orlando International Airport Orlando International Airport is a major public airport located 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 2021, it handled 19,618,838 passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state and seventh busiest airport i ...

's Terminal B. The demonstration included Florida State Representatives

Carlos Guillermo Smith Carlos Guillermo Smith (born December 31, 1980) is an American community activist, lobbyist, and politician. A Democrat, he served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from District 49, which covered the University of Central Florid ...

and

Amy Mercado Amy Mercado is an American politician of Puerto Rican descent who has served as the property appraiser of Orange County, Florida since 2021. Previously, she served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020, representing ...

. Although there was a significant police presence, there were no incidents, arrests, or disruptions of any airport activities. This was the first demonstration ever staged at the Orlando International Airport. One Iranian and two Syrians were held by customs officers at the airport for roughly seven hours.

Philadelphia

March for Humanity Pictures 0204171559b (31868959274)

Four to five thousand people held a demonstration between 2 and 5p.m. at

Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is the primary airport serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The airport served 19.6 million passengers annually in 2021, making it the 21st busiest airport in the United States. The airport is located from t ...

's Terminal A. Speakers included U.S. Representative Bob Brady, members of

Philadelphia City Council The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number. Each ...

, and airport employees. The demonstration had the support of Governor

Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he defeated Republican incumbent Tom Corbett in the 2014 guber ...

who had met with Syrian refugee families whose relatives had been sent back to the Middle East after over the weekend. Others detained at the airport were released during the protests.

Portland, Oregon

On Saturday, there were around 150 demonstrators inside the

Portland International Airport Portland International Airport is a joint civil–military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of the state's passenger air travel and more than 95% of its air cargo. It is within Portland's city li ...

(PDX). While there was an ordinance against marching at the airport, no tickets had been issued by 4:15 p.m. Portland also had around 400 protesters who gathered at the Terry Schrunk Plaza on Monday. Monday's protest was organized by a group called Unite Oregon. City commissioners,

Amanda Fritz Amanda Fritz (born April 1958) is a British-American politician and retired psychiatric nurse from the U.S. state of Oregon. Before being elected to Portland's City Council in 2008, Fritz was a neighborhood activist and seven-year member of the ...

and Nick Fish, and staff from Senator Jeff Merkley's office attended. During the Monday protest, a 20-year-old man was arrested for "brandishing a replica gun" while he was driving past the rally in his truck. He was charged with second-degree disorderly conduct.

Raleigh–Durham, North Carolina

There were around 1,500 protesters at the

Raleigh Durham International Airport Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southea ...

outside Terminal2 on Sunday.

Seattle

SeaTac Airport protest against immigration ban 18

The crowd in Seattle on January 28, which grew to more than three thousand, was supported at an on-site news conference by numerous elected officials, including Governor

Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...

. "Up to 13 people" were detained in the Seattle airport. In Seattle, the Port police used pepper spray on crowds and around 15 people were arrested.

Link light rail Link light rail is a light rail rapid transit system serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit providers, and consists of two non-connected lines: t ...

service to the airport's station was halted for 30 minutes during the protest at the request of Port of Seattle Police. It was later restored by Sound Transit, the service's owner, amid criticism that the request limited the freedom of assembly at the airport, a public space. On January 30, Sound Transit and transit operator King County Metro formalized a new protocol requiring future requests from law enforcement to suspend service be approved by the CEO or general manager as a result of the shutdown. On Monday, January 30,

workers in Seattle walked out of work in protest against the ban.

Texas

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. It was estimated that there were 300 to 400 people there. There were over 800 protesters at the

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Air ...

. The airport had detained 13 travelers, one of whom was an elderly woman and green card holder from Iran who was kept in the airport overnight. Another 800 protesters arrived Sunday to continue to protest Trump's executive order. Nine detainees were released to their families off-site on Sunday, January 29. Dallas mayor

Mike Rawlings Michael Scott Rawlings (born August 25, 1954) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 59th Mayor of Dallas, Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, he won the nonpartisan 2011 Dallas mayoral election defeating former Dallas ...

, who had previously expressed concern over the detention, met with the travellers and expressed apologies on behalf of the people of Dallas. The city of

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

hosted a small demonstration of around 30 people on Sunday at the

El Paso International Airport El Paso International Airport (EPIA, , es, Aeropuerto Internacional de El Paso) is four miles (6 km) northeast of downtown El Paso, in El Paso County, Texas, United States. It is the largest civil airport in West Texas. It handled 3,516,91 ...

in a protest organized by Muslims of El Paso and Friends. In

, protests took place around the city over the course of the weekend. On January 28, demonstrators went to George Bush Intercontinental Airport to protest. On Sunday, protesters filled the George Bush Intercontinental Airport to capacity. More than a thousand people marched near

Discovery Green Discovery Green is an public urban park in Downtown Houston, Texas, bounded by La Branch Street to the west, McKinney Street to the north, Avenida de las Americas to the east, and Lamar Street to the south. The park is adjacent to the George R. ...

(which at the time hosted Super Bowl Live) to demonstrate against the executive order. Further protests took place during

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

weekend.

Washington, D.C.

The Governor of

, Terry McAuliffe, joined the protest at Dulles International Airport on Saturday. Senator Cory Booker was also at the protest at the Dulles International Airport, as well as Democratic representatives John Delaney,

Gerry Connolly Gerald Edward Connolly (born March 30, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district, first elected in 2008. The district is anchored in Fairfax County, an affluent suburban count ...

, and Don Beyer. Rabbi

Jack Moline Jack Moline (born August 10, 1952) is an American Conservative rabbi who retired as executive director of Interfaith Alliance in 2022, having served in the post since January 2015. He is a former director of the National Jewish Democra ...

, president of the Interfaith Alliance, also joined the protest. The advocacy group, CASA, helped bring in dozens of protesters. Protesters continued to demonstrate at Dulles and other protesters demonstrated outside the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

on Sunday. Senators Kamala Harris and

Catherine Cortez Masto Catherine Marie Cortez Masto (born March 29, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nevada, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Cortez Masto served as the 32nd ...

were at the protests. Other protesters demonstrated outside of the

Trump International Hotel Trump International Hotel may refer to: Current Five buildings are named Trump Hotels with four owned/operated by the Trump organization: * Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago) * Trump International Hotel and Tower (New York City) * Tru ...

. On Monday evening, Democrats demonstrated outside of the United States Supreme Court Building in opposition to the executive order. House Minority Leader,

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...

, Senators Chuck Schumer, Joe Manchin, Cory Booker,

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

Jeff Merkley Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Oregon since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley served as the 64th speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives ...

and Al Franken along with Representatives Jerrold Nadler,

, Andre Carson, and Joseph Crowley spoke at the rally. More than two thousand people attended the
Rally for Refugees
at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on February 1, 2017, including Congressman Hank Johnson.

Germany

A crowd of around 1,200 protesters against Trump marched on February 4, 2017, through the city of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. The protest rallied in front of the U.S. Embassy and near the

Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...

. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' reported that "Trump's actions and tough talk on a number of issues in his first two weeks have deeply unsettled many Germans." The protest was organized by a group called The Coalition and also targeted Trump's planned wall between Mexico and the United States. Following these protests, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also criticized the order and claimed that "the necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain people under general suspicion, in this case people of Muslim belief or of a certain origin". Merkel also touched on the importance of welcoming those fleeing war, saying the Travel Ban "contradicts the base concept of international aid for refugees." Merkel also touched on the Syrian refugee crisis and mentioned that countries should be welcoming these refugees fleeing war instead of promoting travel bans.

United Kingdom

A mass protest in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

was scheduled for Monday evening, with nine thousand people registering on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

and another sixteen thousand stating they were interested in attending.

Owen Jones Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, political commentator, journalist, author, and left-wing activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'' and ''Tribune.'' He has two w ...

was one of the organizers of the event which protested the executive order. Protesters also asked that a recent invitation to President Trump to visit the UK be rescinded. The march towards Downing Street began around 6p.m. The march packed Westminster station and brought

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...

to a "standstill." Thousands of protesters joined the demonstration. About three thousand people attended the

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

demonstration. Crowds also attended protests in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Newcastle,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, where Yasmin Surti said, "This sends out a powerful message to Mr. Trump that people of all colours and creeds are as one in Leicester." A group of around 300 people gathered to protest in January in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

. One speaker, Dominic Buxton, said that "we will not let Trump divide us". On February 4, 2017, about ten thousand people protested in London against May's support of Trump. United Kingdom has been active on protesting against the travel ban also known as the Executive Order 13769. At least 30 rallies have occurred in the UK since the travel ban went into effect and the protests have been . On July 13, 2018, President Trump visited London and faced protests by thousands at Trafalgar Square in London and Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Protesters carried various banners that criticized President Trump's policies with some saying "Trump Not Welcome", "Together Against Trump", "No to Racism, No to Trump", "Dump Trump" and "World's No. 1 racist". Another demonstration was led by Amnesty International activists where they unfurled a banner on Vauxhall Bridge in Central London that said "Human Rights Nightmare" and had Trump's portrait on it.

Reactions

Former United States President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

publicly stated that he disagreed with the travel ban and was "heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country." In response,

Larry Klayman Larry Elliot Klayman (born July 20, 1951) is an American attorney, right-wing activist, and former U.S. Justice Department prosecutor. He founded both Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch. In addition to his numerous lawsuits against the Clinton adm ...

sued Obama, alleging his comments incited a protester at the

. Many other celebrities reacted to the travel ban on social media including Lin-Manuel Miranda,

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

, Stephen Colbert,

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...

, and Mia Farrow. In June 2018 Donald Trump posted a tweet saying "Supreme Court upholds Trump travel ban. WOW!". Many celebrities responded to this including Morgan Freeman who said "Making America White Again! Huge step back towards much darker days." American artist Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted, "Shameful day for the Supreme Court". The

(ACLU) also posted a tweet saying, "This is not the first time the court has been wrong, or has allowed official racism and xenophobia to continue rather than standing up to it." Along with the protests all around the country and the world, reactions on social media have become a major contributor to the protests as celebrities and social media users continued to contribute to the hashtags related to the protests. The celebrities mentioned above all have officially approved Twitter accounts with millions of followers which shows that their tweets and activities become available to an audience and allows the hashtags and topic on the travel ban to appear on the trending section of Twitter and other social media platforms.

Social media reactions

The protests against Executive Order 13769 also spread on social media and the internet. On January 25, 2017, protesters gathered in New York and chanted "No ban no wall". The chant became a symbol of the protests all around the country including protests in Seattle and Washington, D.C. These chants were soon used on Twitter as #nobannowall to protest president Trump's border wall and travel ban policies also known as Executive Orders 13769 and 13767. The hashtag #nobannowwall soon became popular on other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr. On Facebook, users created pages to coordinate protests such as "No Ban No Wall SF". The "No Ban No Wall SF" page was used to create a protest event where 22,000 people expressed interest and 10,000 were expected to attend to the event. Twitter was actively used by Donald Trump as he posted tweets regarding the travel ban. Even before the protests, on March 25, 2016, President Trump tweeted "It is amazing how often I am right, only to be criticized by the media. Illegal immigration, take the oil, build the wall, Muslims, Nato!" In another Tweet on September 15, 2017, Trump said "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific - but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!" Tweets related to the order came not only from Donald Trump; many social media users and some celebrities posted tweets in response to his policy. Mia Farrow tweeted, "Travel ban is born of this president's xenophobia" and said "it also makes clear that we need laws to govern a tyrannical president."

Related hashtags

The hashtag #nobanowall soon became related to others: * #noTrump: This hashtag also became very popular on social media platforms and was used by protesters who criticized Trump's policies. * #GrandparentsNotTerrorists: President Trump's travel ban was planned to suspend the issuance of visas to refugees and citizens of North Korea, Venezuela, Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. However, it was stated that refugees or citizens of these countries who have a "bona fide relationship" with a person in the US would be exempt from this ban. This meant that grandparents, grandchildren, aunts and uncles were not exempt of the travel ban. The National Iranian American Council started this protest on Twitter and other social media platforms using the hashtag #grandparentsnotterrorist. Social media users used this hashtag to highlight the fact that the order was barring entry to grandparents and others who wished to see their family. * #MuslimBan: This hashtag was used by people who wanted to add to the discussion of Executive Order 13769. In posts related to this hashtag, there are posts from supporters as well as those who oppose President Trump's policy.

Other responses

In opposition to the executive order, over 350,000 people donated to the ACLU. The organization collected more money over the weekend of January 28 than it did during all of 2016. Lyft was one of the companies that donated, giving $1 million to the ACLU. Because Uber was seen as acting as strike-breakers during the New York taxi strike and also because Uber's CEO,

Travis Kalanick Travis Cordell Kalanick (; born August 6, 1976) is an American businessman best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) of Uber. Previously he worked for Scour, a peer-to-peer file sharing application company, and was th ...

, had agreed to serve on an economic advisory panel for Trump, many protesters are boycotting Uber and using Lyft or traditional taxi service instead.

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

pledged to hire 10,000 refugees worldwide over the next five years as a response to the executive order. On January 28, writer Eoin Higgins called for using the momentum of the JFK protests as a prelude to a general strike. Small businesses and bodegas in

owned by

i immigrants closed from noon to 8p.m. on February2 in protest against the executive order. It was expected that more than a thousand businesses would be shut down. In the evening, many of the business owners and supporters demonstrated at Brooklyn Borough Hall. The United Talent Agency (UTA) cancelled its annual Oscars party to protest the travel ban. The amount to be spent on the party, $250,000, was donated to the ACLU instead.

Impact

Muslims in New York City had reported feeling supported by the protests and more a part of the community. In the United Kingdom, Muslims also "appreciated the show of solidarity."

Notes

References

External links

* {{JFK Airport 2017 in American politics 2017 in New York City 2017 protests Articles containing video clips Executive Order 13769 Immigration-related protests January 2017 events in the United States John F. Kennedy International Airport Protests against Donald Trump Protests in New York (state) Trump administration controversies