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"Not In Our Names": Families of 9/11 Victims Protest Trump's Travel Ban
"Our loved ones can never be replaced and September 11th has forever changed our reality. But one thing that will never change is our commitment to compassionate policies and opposition to religious, ethnic, and racial discrimination."
Feb 16, 2017
People who lost family members in the September 11 terror attacks are rallying in New York City's Battery Park on Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban, sending the message that they do not sanction "discrimination in our loved one's names."
"As family members who lost close relatives in the attack, we will not tolerate President Trump's use of 9/11 to defend his deplorable anti-American political agenda," read a statement by the families.
The text of the Trump's recent executive orders banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations specifically references the Sept. 11 attacks three times. Upon signing the de-facto Muslim ban, the president said he was doing so to honor the victims of terrorism.
Declaring it an "outrage" that those refugees, "all of whom have been through a thorough vetting and approval process, now face grave danger and an uncertain future," the statement continued:
Our loved ones can never be replaced and September 11th has forever changed our reality. But one thing that will never change is our commitment to compassionate policies and opposition to religious, ethnic, and racial discrimination. And for this reason, we will not allow the memory of our loved ones to be dishonored and the compassionate name of this nation to be undermined. We stand united with members of the Muslim community in full opposition to President Trump's unconstitutional Executive Order.
During the demonstration, which was organized in part by The Interfaith Center of New York and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, protesters chanted "Let them in!" Some held signs that read "Not In Our Names" while others carried pictures of their lost loved ones.
The morning's vigil was interrupted at one point by a lone Trump supporter. A Facebook live video of the protest was filmed by Mic senior staff writer Aaron Morrison.
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Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
People who lost family members in the September 11 terror attacks are rallying in New York City's Battery Park on Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban, sending the message that they do not sanction "discrimination in our loved one's names."
"As family members who lost close relatives in the attack, we will not tolerate President Trump's use of 9/11 to defend his deplorable anti-American political agenda," read a statement by the families.
The text of the Trump's recent executive orders banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations specifically references the Sept. 11 attacks three times. Upon signing the de-facto Muslim ban, the president said he was doing so to honor the victims of terrorism.
Declaring it an "outrage" that those refugees, "all of whom have been through a thorough vetting and approval process, now face grave danger and an uncertain future," the statement continued:
Our loved ones can never be replaced and September 11th has forever changed our reality. But one thing that will never change is our commitment to compassionate policies and opposition to religious, ethnic, and racial discrimination. And for this reason, we will not allow the memory of our loved ones to be dishonored and the compassionate name of this nation to be undermined. We stand united with members of the Muslim community in full opposition to President Trump's unconstitutional Executive Order.
During the demonstration, which was organized in part by The Interfaith Center of New York and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, protesters chanted "Let them in!" Some held signs that read "Not In Our Names" while others carried pictures of their lost loved ones.
The morning's vigil was interrupted at one point by a lone Trump supporter. A Facebook live video of the protest was filmed by Mic senior staff writer Aaron Morrison.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
People who lost family members in the September 11 terror attacks are rallying in New York City's Battery Park on Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban, sending the message that they do not sanction "discrimination in our loved one's names."
"As family members who lost close relatives in the attack, we will not tolerate President Trump's use of 9/11 to defend his deplorable anti-American political agenda," read a statement by the families.
The text of the Trump's recent executive orders banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations specifically references the Sept. 11 attacks three times. Upon signing the de-facto Muslim ban, the president said he was doing so to honor the victims of terrorism.
Declaring it an "outrage" that those refugees, "all of whom have been through a thorough vetting and approval process, now face grave danger and an uncertain future," the statement continued:
Our loved ones can never be replaced and September 11th has forever changed our reality. But one thing that will never change is our commitment to compassionate policies and opposition to religious, ethnic, and racial discrimination. And for this reason, we will not allow the memory of our loved ones to be dishonored and the compassionate name of this nation to be undermined. We stand united with members of the Muslim community in full opposition to President Trump's unconstitutional Executive Order.
During the demonstration, which was organized in part by The Interfaith Center of New York and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, protesters chanted "Let them in!" Some held signs that read "Not In Our Names" while others carried pictures of their lost loved ones.
The morning's vigil was interrupted at one point by a lone Trump supporter. A Facebook live video of the protest was filmed by Mic senior staff writer Aaron Morrison.
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