On the morning of June 30, hundreds of people walked through downtown Iowa City to speak out against hate, along with thousands of others around the country, protesting the policies in place that have led to separation of immigrant families.
Protesters started at the Pentacrest on Madison Street and marched to College Green Park.
Manny Galvez, one of the organizers of the rally, wanted to send one message.
“We want to respond to hate with love,” he said.
Children being separated from their parents is one phase of the many actions this government has taken against Latino refugees, Galvez said.
“We never see other refugees of other races as much as we see the Latino race in the media,” he said. “They want to make us seem like criminals.”
Those who head to the U.S. are hardworking people who want to give their kids and themselves a better future, he said, noting that a lot of the time, they just want to be able to feed their children.
The people walking in the protest showed their support and welcomed immigrants and refugees from other countries. They held signs that read, “No human is illegal,” “Melt ICE,” “Families belong together,” “Kidnapping is not immigration policy,” and many more.
They also chanted, “Children in their mother’s arms, not in Donald’s cages” and “Say it loud and clear, immigrants are welcome here.”
People from all backgrounds attended the protest and stayed for the rally afterwards, supporting the idea that it does not matter where persons come from, all are welcome in this country and in Iowa City.
Inara Verzemnieks, a University of Iowa creative-writing assistant professor, said she believes when people gather together, it will show the government they stand against these policies.
“We want to show the government that we do not see hate as a value here in Iowa City,” she said.
She takes the issues personally, Verzemnieks said, because her grandfather and father were immigrants. She believes that when large groups of people gather together, they are visually stronger.
Protester Alexandra Rucinski said she wanted to be present to show her support and show that Iowa City stands against policies that put children in detention camps.
“I think as a white person, I should use my white privilege to speak out against these issues and spread awareness,” she said.
A new law that will be enforced starting July 1 requires local officials to work with immigration authorities and no longer provide “sanctuary” to undocumented immigrants. Rucinski wants Johnson County to show that it loudly disagrees.
RELATED: Reynolds signs legislation cracking down on ‘sanctuary cities’
“We should shun them, let them know we don’t agree with what they are doing,” Rucinski said. “We should also let people know that they do not have to speak to them.”
Galvez also wants to show how strong Johnson County is and how the people there stand together.
“This is not a political issue, this is a human-rights issue,” he said.
Galvez said people love this country because of the freedom it provides, and putting children in cages and punishing them because their parents are seeking better lives is not what America was built on.