Trump’s National Emergency Declaration Spurs Protests Across the Country

Jack Herrera
February 18, 2019
Protesters took to the streets at more than 140 events across the United States on Monday to oppose President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the country’s southern border.
People protest against President Donald Trump' national emergency declaration in front of the White House on February 18th, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The event was part of a national mobilization effort with protests to be held throughout the country. US President Trump on February 15th, 2019, invoked a 'national emergency' to justify tapping military and other funds for barrier construction, after Congress approved less than a fourth the $5.7 billion he had sought for border security.

Protesters took to the streets at over 140 events across the United States on Monday to oppose President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the country’s southern border. The declaration, which Trump made over the express objection of Congress, empowers him to mobilize the military and access billions of dollars in funds to construct border walls and barriers.

Activists organized more than 147 different registered events to take place on Monday, according to a website run by the progressive advocacy organization MoveOn. The website explains that MoveOn was “mobilizing rapid-response events on Presidents’ Day against Trump’s fake crisis and racist deportation force and to stand with immigrant, Muslim, and Black and brown communities to stop Trump’s dangerous and illegal power grab.”

Demonstrations took place through the morning and early afternoon in Boston, New York, Chicago, and other cities. By noon, hundreds of protesters had gathered in view of the White House for a planned protest in Washington, D.C.

The American Civil Liberties Union was one of the more prominent groups represented at the D.C. event. “There is no national emergency,” Faiz Shakir, the ACLU’s national political director, said in a statement. “As we at the ACLU take this fight to the courts, we the people will also take it to the streets and Congress.”

On Friday, soon after the president declared the national emergency, the ACLU announced that it would sue Trump over the declaration. The governor and attorney general of California also announced they intended to introduce a lawsuit.

Below, a look at Monday’s events across the country in images shared on Twitter.

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