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Anto-ICE protests push DC businesses to close
Thousands of people demonstrated across the country on Friday, protesting against ICE enforcement in their communities. Several businesses across D.C. decided to close their doors today in solidarity. FOX 5’s Homa Bash has more.
WASHINGTON - Thousands of people are demonstrating across the country, protesting against ICE enforcement in their communities.
On Friday, several businesses across D.C. closed their doors in solidarity.
What’s happening:
Organizers called it a "National Day of Action."
At Bold Fork Books, they closed in protest, with a sign on the door saying "ICE OUT."
"We've just watched our community be impacted by this, and now seeing other communities be impacted, this felt like the right thing," said Elizabeth Kanagawa, who owns the children’s bookstore Three Littles in Union Market. "I realize not every business is able to do this; it doesn't make sense for everyone. We're fortunate enough to protest in this way, so we decided to pay our team still while we were closed."
Big picture view:
The protests are taking place coast to coast in the wake of the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and immigration enforcement by ICE agents in communities big and small.
Organizers of the national shutdown are hoping to persuade people to stay home from school, work, and shopping and convince the Trump administration to stop sending ICE to American cities.
At Howard University on Friday, hundreds of students walked out of class as part of that peaceful anti-ICE protest, saying they refuse to be silent while injustice is loud.
"ICE shouldn't be kicking people out of land that's not even ours," one demonstrator told FOX 5.
"I’ve been protesting since I was 11, since the start of Black Lives Matter, and it's sad we have to keep doing this but it's exciting. Its the whole community," another told FOX 5.
"People need to get out to the streets, I'm over 60 years old. Its time to get out of the recliners and get in the streets," said Ralph Nix, with Refuse Fascism.
Big picture view:
Some closures continued through the weekend in D.C. and across the country, as part of the "ICE OUT" movement.
It all comes as organizers are calling on Congress to block Department of Homeland Security funding until ICE is dismantled.