Students and Bloomington residents gathered at Showalter Fountain Sunday afternoon to demonstrate against President Trump’s recent executive orders. The demonstration was followed by a town hall discussion and panel in Alumni Hall.
The demonstration came on the heels of a protest Saturday at Sample Gates but was better attended. There were about 50 people in comparison to Saturday’s 30, attending the demonstration, and protesters Sunday said they hoped the warmer weather would coax more people out.
Brandon Wallace, a former IU student from the 2014 class, said he was demonstrating as a way to use his anger. He was carrying a sign reading “Love your neighbor.” He said he chose the verse because the executive orders enraged him, and rather than choosing to lash out, he wanted to do something constructive.
“I am trying to get more involved in the community,” Wallace said. “I want to create a space for genuine conversation. Just love. Love your neighbor as yourself. That’s why I made my sign.”
Wallace’s friend, Destiny McGruder another IU student, on the other hand had a more specific reason for being at the demonstration.
“This topic is important to me,” McGruder said. “My sister’s family is Muslim. You can’t just start disregarding or banning people for their religion. That is a problem.”
McGruder said she cannot understand why the country was trying to make outsiders a problem without trying to do anything about the problems she already saw in the country. She said she is not sure what is going to happen moving forward.
Acceptance was only one of the multiple topics up for protest during the demonstration. Bloomington residents Krista Hollenberg-Cussen and her husband Kim Cussen held a sign accusing President Trump as having no regard for the truth.
It is hard work to get the truth, Hollenberg-Cussen said. You cannot just watch news that agrees with you. You have to hear at least two sides to every story, she said. However, she said, it is possible to find reliable sources because there atre many out there. It's just a matter of selecting them carefully.
Cussen is also in the look out for more protests. He said he is considering joining the scientist protests in Washington, D.C. The couple said they are on the look out for more protests and hope tsocial media like Facebook will help expose them to more opportunities. They attributed the poor attendance at the demonstration to poor advertising. The couple said they frequently have trouble hearing about protests before they happen.
