Amnesty marks Trump’s 100 days in office with protest

LONDON: Human rights group Amnesty International’s campaigners gathered outside the US Embassy to protest drastic steps taken by Donald Trump's administration during the first 100 days in office, especially the travel ban on Muslims from eight countries.

The demonstration sought to draw attention to a series of human rights concerns during President Trump's first three months in the White House.

The ‘100 statues protest’ saw campaigners wearing pale-green costumes, pale-green face paint and carrying torches and chanting slogans ‘No Ban’, ‘No Wall’ and ‘Refugees Welcome’.

Amnesty has been strongly critical of several measures from the new US
government, including the multi-country travel ban affecting Muslim majority countries, the 120-day halt to its refugee resettlement programme and plans to build a wall along the Mexican border.

After filing solemnly into Grosvenor Square, the 100 Statues of Liberty formed lines directly outside the US Embassy. They stood in sombre silence to protest the human rights violations of President Trump’s administration.

This was followed by a formal recitation of ‘The New Colossus’ poem, featuring the famous “Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses” phrase.

The 100 Statues of Liberty covered their faces in despair to show how ashamed they were of President Donald Trump.

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s Director, said: “In the space of just 100 days, President Trump has done untold damage to the USA’s already less-than-perfect reputation for upholding human rights. If the Statue of Liberty stands for anything, it stands for willingness to shelter people uprooted through war and intolerance. It’s a crying shame that President Trump’s administration cares so little for what the Statue of Liberty represents.”

She told Geo News that Trump’s ban on Muslims from eight countries had brought shame to the statue of Liberty and the universal values it stands up for. She said that ban on Muslims countries and rhetoric against immigrants was dangerous and misleading.

She remarked that Trump’s remarks against Muslims and immigrants had fuelled rise in racism and Islampophobia. She said it was important to stop Donald Trump from violating the internationally accepted norms on human rights.

The AI director said that Trump has proven through his record that he is a dangerous man who doesn’t care about human rights and can slap travel bans and create walls without any care for human rights.

She vowed that campaign against Trump’s action will continue.