Protestors march through Birmingham city centre against Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Around 500 people turned up out in Birmingham city centre today in solidarity with the thousands who hit the streets in London protesting Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’.
Coinciding with protests across the country, Brummies – young and old – came out wielding placards and banners as they called on US President Donald Trump to reverse the so-called ‘Muslim Ban’, an executive order which prohibits travel to the US from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
Protesters with ‘Dump Trump’ placards in Birmingham (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Initially gathering outside Waterstones in High Street from 2pm, to chant and listen to speeches, the congregation then held a peaceful march to the Council House in Victoria Square.
Chants included “Hey Hey Ho, Trump’s Gotta Go!” and “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees welcome here”; while placards read “Only love can drive out hate”, “Dump Trump” and “Stop terrorising Muslims”.
Funnier hand-made signs displayed “God save the Queen, from the fascist tangerine”, “Tiny Hands, Big Problems” and the meme-inspired “Cash me outside, how bow dah”.
Young protesters in Birmingham with ‘No to Trump’ and ‘Cash me outside how bow dah’ placards (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
>> READ MORE: 40 funny as f*** placards from the Birmingham anti-Trump demo <<
Despite a judge overturning Trump’s ban on Friday to prevent the 90-day travel order and 120-day freeze on US admission of any refugees, protesters have vowed to continue piling on the pressure to prevent another u-turn, and to call on PM Theresa May to cancel Trump’s UK state visit.
Jae Robinson, an active member of Momentum Birmingham, speaks at the anti-Trump rally in Birmingham (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Speakers at the Birmingham event included Geoff Dexter from Stand Up To Racism, Bridget Parsons from Unite Against Fascism, Jae Robinson from Birmingham Momentum, Stuart Richardson from Socialist Alliance, Doug Morgan from the National Union of Teachers, representatives from The Green Party, Sorina Stallard on behalf of the city’s Romanian community and Mirfat Suleiman on behalf of the local Yemeni community.
Geoff Dexter speaks on behalf of Stand Up To Racism, who have been organising demonstrations in opposition to Donald Trump across the country (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Mirfat Suleiman speaks on behalf of the city’s Yemeni community, one of the countries on Donald Trump’s travel ban list (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
In London, Birmingham activists and campaigners spoke to over 40,000 people in a mass demonstration called by Muslim organisations, in partnership with anti-war and anti-racism groups.
Salma Yaqoob addresses an anti-Trump rally in London, attended by over 40,000 people
Taking to the stage outside Downing Street, former Birmingham councillor and national peace activist Salma Yaqoob told the cheering crowd:
“We started this protest outside the US Embassy and now we’re outside the Prime Minister’s domain in Downing Street, because protest like this works. Theresa May was silent, absolutely silent. She was there on the day that they made this [Muslim ban] announcement. She knew that this announcement was going to be made on the same day she held hands with Trump and was so proud that she was going to be the bridge to Europe.
“We’ve got to say to Theresa, it stops now, because she is being an appeaser. Her complicity is exactly what allows tyranny to reign, and that’s why we are here today to say ‘Not in our name’. We will not legitimise this racism and this fascism.”
Over 40,000 people turned out to rally against Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’, at a demonstration co-organised by Muslim groups and anti-racism campaigners (Photograph: Waqar Azmi)
Waqar Azmi OBE, chairman of national Bosnian remembrance charity Remembering Srebrenica – based in Birmingham – also took to the podium to share a reminder of how similar restrictions on Muslims lead to a mass genocide in western Europe only just over 20 years ago.
Anti-racism campaigner Maz Saleem, whose father Mohammed Saleem was murdered by neo-Nazi terrorist Pavlo Lapshyn in Birmingham in 2013, shared the story of how her father was brutally stabbed three times as he was walking home from Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath. Ukrainian national Lapshyn was caught and sentenced to life for the murder and for the attempted bombing of three mosques in the West Midlands. At the time, he confessed to police that his motivation was to kill non-whites.
David Rosenberg, leader of the Jewish Socialist Group, also spoke at the rally in London. He said:
“We live in a world where many people would like Jews and Muslims to be enemies. But we are here as Jews to express our complete solidarity with Muslims threatened and victimised by Trump.
“We stand also with Mexican people, who are mainly Catholic, bearing the brunt of Trump’s racism. And as Jews who know something about being refugees, we give our solidarity to all refugees.”
A national day of action against Trump’s planned UK state visit, lead by Stand Up To Racism and Muslim groups, is expected to take place on Monday 20th February.
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