A rally in support of the Muslim community drew thousands of people to Denver’s Civic Center Park Saturday afternoon.
Nearly 9,000 people were listed on a Facebook event guest list to attend the “Protect Our Muslim Neighbors Rally” on Saturday.
The rally was held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and featured a lineup of speakers, poets and musicians who took the stage at the Greek amphitheater in Civic Center Park.
“We are not going to allow Muslim civil rights to be violated because of the policies coming out of Washington,” said Iman Jodeh, executive director of Meet the Middle East.
Jodeh was one of the first speakers at the rally on a blustery, but warm February day in Denver. The amphitheater at Civic Center Park was standing room only, unless you could find a perch atop a concrete column like Michelle McGraw.
“I’ve had a nice bird’s eye and to watch it grow and see everyone come together is really lovely,” McGraw said.
McGraw met up with her brother at the rally Saturday afternoon and joined the crowd of people representing multiple faiths and countries.
“I want our immigrant neighbors to know that we will protect them,” McGraw said.
The rally came a day after a federal judge in Washington State issued a temporary restraining order blocking President Trump’s immigration and refugee ban. The executive order from President Trump stopped the entry into the United States of immigrants and refugees from seven majority-Muslim countries.
Following Friday’s ruling from Federal District Judge James Robart, U.S. Customs and Border Protection told airlines it would reinstate 60,000 visas that had been revoked under the president’s order.
The Justice Department was expected to challenge Robart’s ruling at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Iman Jodeh likened the situation to being stuck in a “holding pattern,” though she hoped the immigration and refugee ban would be permanently lifted.
“You can’t help but feel like you’re actually making and implementing positive change,” Jodeh said of Saturday’s rally.
The rally followed a gathering of hundreds of people at the Colorado Muslim Society on Friday. People of all faiths joined in prayer in response to the January 29 attack on a mosque in Quebec City, Canada.
