JANESVILLE, Wis.—In a demonstration that Janesville police said dwarfed any they’d seen, residents of south-central Wisconsin and beyond marched to House Speaker Paul Ryan’s constituent office Saturday to protest his stance on President Donald Trump’s immigration ban.
About 1,000 people—most residents from the area but some coming from as far as Chicago and Eau Claire—convened at 12 p.m. to listen to speakers and then march to Main Street, where they held signs and chanted outside of Ryan’s office.
Ryan was among the first elected officials to publicly support Trump’s recent executive order, which bars immigration from seven Middle-Eastern countries, despite originally expressing concern about such a policy.
Protesters said they thought Ryan should be more willing to go against Trump, especially on policies that could do great harm.
“[Ryan] has been not standing up to some of the things Donald Trump has been doing, and they are against the values of America,” said Julia Belanger, a protester who traveled from Chicago.
The facilitator of the demonstration, the Beloit chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, organized the protest to “build a local coalition for future, long-term action across the region,” according to a media advisory.
Although a federal judge’s decision yesterday temporarily halted the travel ban, SURJ-Beloit said it was still important to hold the protest.
“We haven’t won yet,” the organizers of the demonstration wrote in a facebook post. “We need to keep pressure on [Trump] to abandon his course.”
Eight speakers, most of whom were from the religious community, took the mic in Jefferson Park to condemn Trump’s executive order.
Martin Alvarado, an ACLU of Wisconsin board member and an immigrant, said he had received messages from a diverse array of people expressing their opposition to the ban.
“Christians, liberals, conservatives, Jewish friends, said they showed solidarity with us,” Alvarado said. “That’s what America is about. America is about compassion.”
Neddy Astudillo, another speaker and the pastor of a
“The only way for us to bring justice is by building community,” Astudillo said. “We can all resist by marching and speaking against injustice, but justice will only happen when we come together as a community.”
Two men carrying military-style rifles viewed the rally from afar, and some protesters expressed concerns to police, who responded that the men had a right to bear arms. Outside of talking loudly with a few demonstrators, the men did not cause any disturbance.
After the speakers finished, protesters began marching down St. Lawrence Avenue toward downtown Janesville. They chanted “no ban, no wall” and “this is what democracy looks like,” drawing the attention of residents, who went to windows to watch.
Protesters then circled Ryan’s constituent office on South Main Street, blocking storefronts and traffic along the city’s main drag. Angie Losee, who owns a store on Main Street, said she appreciates the right to peacefully demonstrate, but that the protest was bad for business.
“We were not expecting it to be like this,” Losee said. “I don’t care if you protest, but I wish it had stayed in the park.”
However, one attendee said she thought
“I believe Paul Ryan doesn’t believe in a Muslim
Some cars passing by honked their horns to show support for the march, and a few residents of nearby apartment complexes cheered the protesters on.
However, one passerby, who loudly and repeatedly yelled “build the wall” at march participants, said the immigration ban protects against “leaving the back door open for ISIS.”
“I’m all for legal immigration, but this is our home,” said Austin Hedges, a Clinton resident. “Would you rather your doors be locked at two in the morning or unlocked?”
Despite a few detractors, march organizers said they considered the protest a major success. They estimated the total turnout at about 1,050, which one Janesville police officer said was by far the largest demonstration he’d seen during his 24 years on the force.
