Protesters chant 'Dump Trump' at New York rally
Hundreds of protesters have marched in front of Donald Trump's hotel in New York City to condemn the US presidential candidate’s call to prohibit Muslims from temporarily entering the United States.
Chanting “Dump Trump” and “refugees welcome,” the activists on Thursday rebuked Trump’s comments.
“We are not asking for any favors,” Linda Sarsour of the Arab American Association of New York told the crowd. “We are asking for the basic respect and dignity that we all deserve here in the United States of America.”
Some protesters said Trump’s remarks, while more explicit, were not that different from statements made by other politicians calling for restrictions on Syrian refugees who want to settle in the United States.
Others warned that Trump's racist and anti-Muslim remarks were only intensifying a wave of Islamophobia.
"The damage he’s done is already very significant," said Skanda Kadirgamar, 27, citing reports of increased threats against Muslims. "Donald Trump is here to pour gasoline onto those fires."
Trump ignited a political firestorm on Monday by proposing a “total and complete” ban on all Muslims entering the US.
His statement, which has drawn widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally, came in response to the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, last week, in which a married couple described as "radicalized" by authorities allegedly killed 14 people.
Some Muslims at the rally said they feared attacks and discrimination would increase as a result of the shootings, much as they did following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Iman Sahel, 17, said her aunt, who wears a headscarf, was pushed to the ground following those attacks. "There are people who are just like him," Sahel said of Trump.
Trump’s outrageous demand has been roundly condemned by nearly all presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat, as well as the White House and international human rights organisations.
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