Thousands incorporated the upcoming Valentine’s Day theme of love into a march through Minneapolis Saturday to show their support of refugees and immigrants in the United States.
Beginning at Minneapolis City Hall and ending two miles later on the University of Minnesota campus, crowds at the Minnesota Caravan of Love spent more than four hours demonstrating their alliance with those affected by President Donald Trump’s travel ban. Though there have been numerous recent protests, this march focused on providing love instead of showing hate.
Chants of “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” and “The people, united, will never be defeated,” rang through the streets. People of wide-ranging ages, races and religions carried signs and shared words of hope for those for whom they marched.
The voices of St. Thomas sophomore Sam Filardo and her close friends were among those shouting their support. Filardo wanted to contribute to the opposition of the immigration ban, but she said the positive, loving aspect of the march was what really appealed to her.
“It makes me really happy to see that even though we elected a president that many people don’t really agree with, we have this community that is for love and for all the good things about America,” Filardo said. “We can not survive without love.”
Maria Mendez is a student at the University of Minnesota, but she is also a migrant from Honduras. She felt called to march for those who can’t speak out.
“I know that my freedom is tied to everyone else’s freedom and that I can not live without pursuing justice,” Mendez said. “This is just one march, but the movement is going.”
The rally did not stop upon reaching the University of Minnesota campus. There, numerous immigrants shared their talents through dance, musical performances and speeches. Qais Munhazim, an immigrant from Afghanistan and one of the event organizers, shared a letter he wrote to his mother back home. He said the inspiration for helping organize the march came from seeing injustices that hit so close to home.
“I wanted people of color, immigrants themselves, also women of color, to take the lead and organize this with me. We also knew so many of us in the community were sad and fearful. We didn’t know what to do. We just wanted to send a message of hope and love,” Munhazim said. “I couldn’t just sit back and watch.”
Munhazim believes that it was the love of family and community that allowed him to survive his own war-stricken country, so he felt it needed to be shown here as well.
“When you’re at the very center of political turmoils like this, the one thing that everyone is left out of is love and compassion because everyone is struggling with their own problems and their own issues,” Munhazim said. “This march is of hope and love, and that no matter what we will still survive and still live and we will not break.”
Kassie Vivant can be reached at viva0001@stthomas.edu,