Crowds Gather At Pittsburgh International Airport to Protest Travel Ban
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Crowds gathered at the Pittsburgh International Airport on Sunday afternoon to protest the travel ban President Donald Trump signed into action over the weekend.
The Pittsburgh protest, organized through a Facebook event, was one of many airport protests held throughout the country over the weekend.
The woman who originally posted the event called it "a peaceful demonstration in support of immigrants and against the ridiculous ban and administration that continues to fight against our rights as humans."
Demonstrators held signs reading "Refugees are welcome here" and "Anti-Muslim is Anti-American."
Organizer Rachel Wunderlin said she feels the immigration order is un-American.
"We are a nation of immigrants, we are a nation of many religions and faiths and understanding and to keep people out, that's not what America is about," she said.
Jamal Saleh, a U.S. citizen from Yemen, arrived Sunday from Washington. He said his brother's wife and seven children were detained even though they had approved visas.
"They placed them in isloation in a small room and treated them as criminals or as people who may have committed a crime," he said.
Saleh's faith was restored when two federal judges issued temporary stays on the on the executive order. He disagrees with President Trump's belief that it will protect the country from terrorism.
"If a 6-year-old and a 7-year-old is a terrorist just because they came from Yemen, where is the humanity?"
Republican Congressman Tim Murphy told KDKA government agencies must verify that immigrants are who they say are where they come from.
"We know that many people that flooded into Europe didn't have documents had false documents, we know that ISIS was intentionally working on forging documents for people," he said. "Our first and main goal is the safety and security of the American people, that means some many experience inconvenience for a while."
Mayor Bill Peduto was there, along with City Councilman Dan Gillman.
Mayor @billpeduto has arrived. City Councilman Dan Gillman also here pic.twitter.com/iTWaLrABvY
— J. Dale Shoemaker (@JDale_Shoemaker) January 29, 2017
This was the second local protest against the travel ban. A march and rally to show solidarity with immigrants, Muslims and refugees was held in Schenley Plaza on Saturday afternoon.
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