Roughly 100 individuals attended the Immigration Reform protest at Kesey Square Plaza on Feb. 8. Individuals were protesting against immigration reform and the separation of families by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Demonstrators began arriving at Kesey Square at around 10:30 a.m. with more individuals joining in leading up to the scheduled start time of 11 a.m. The demonstration was held in the square next to Voodoo Doughnut.
Destiny Martinez, a University of Oregon student who helped organize the event, said she hopes people can understand there are many ways to help support the movement, by being there for the families and protesting.
“I really do hope that with all these protests that are going around (at) all the states right now that Donald Trump really changes something,” Martinez said. “A lot of people are scared to actually go out and grocery shop because of ICE.”
During President Trump’s Inauguration Day, he promised “millions” of deportations this year, and over 8,000 arrests were made during the first two weeks of the Trump administration, according to NBC News.
Martinez said the vibe and energy of the hour-long protest was amazing and appreciated how the community showed up in support of the cause.
Some of the chants during the protest included, “The people united will never be divided” and “Unite, fight for immigrant rights” along with other chants spoken in both English and Spanish.
Many Mexican and American flags were visible in the crowd and signs were held up by protesters, such as “being undocumented is not a crime” and “nadie es ilegal en una tierra robada,” which translates to “nobody is illegal on stolen land.”
A demonstrator and immigrant to the United States at the event, who requested to go by Martin, said that “it’s not an easy feeling to be an immigrant and come out here.”
He added, “I hope (the community) comes to us, makes this movement bigger so that we can have more power in the legislature, and change some of the laws and the rules that we have in place.”
Protestors at Saturday’s demonstration said they wanted to connect with the community and make sure immigrants and individuals being targeted felt safe and supported.
“I really do hope they understand that they get to go home to their families without worrying about their families being taken away from them,” Martinez said. “A lot of (today’s protesters) are allies and we appreciate them for coming out.”
