Video by Bill Sorem; Text by Michael McIntee and Bill Sorem

Downtown Minneapolis was jammed Tuesday night with thousands of people opposed to President Donald Trump’s executive orders preventing immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. It was wall-to-wall people along Fourth Street, filling the space between City Hall and the U.S. Courthouse the full length of the block.

Minneapolis police estimated the crowd to number about 5,000. Many carried homemade signs denouncing Trump and expressing support for Muslims, refugees and immigrants in general.

“No ban. No wall. Sanctuary for all,” they chanted outside the U.S. Courthouse, where the rally began before the crowd started marching down Fourth Street. “We’re going to beat, beat back that Trump attack.”

Why did people come?

“Why am I here? It’s the right thing to do,” said a mother who brought her child along to the rally.

“We need to show up and say this is not OK,” said another woman, who was wearing a pink knit cap like the one many wore to the Women’s March a week ago in St. Paul. “And I’ll be here every time the call is out.”

Protesters listened to speakers from the Council on American Islamic Relations – MN, the NAACP, the peace movement, the immigrant rights movement, and from a variety of religious faiths to defend the rights of immigrants and refugees to stay and to enter the U.S.

“This ban will only fuel and make our country less safe. It will give propaganda to those who are our enemies,” said one of the speakers.