Protesters gather outside the Richard B. Russell Federal Building for an on-call response to the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding President Donald Trump’s travel ban.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of President Trump’s latest travel ban. The ban refuses travel into the United States from seven countries, many of which are majority-Muslim.
Chief Justice John Roberts stated in the majority opinion, “The President of the United States possesses an extraordinary power to speak to his fellow citizens and on their behalf.”
The decision sparked nationwide protests, one of which was organized in Atlanta by Hillary Holley, an organizer for last year’s travel ban demonstration at the Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport.
Holley said it is important to help uplift the voices of those directly affected.
“Let’s say for people who aren’t Muslim, people who are natural American citizens. To use our privilege and use our space that’s to help uplift the voices of those who are directly impacted,” Holley said.
Among the speakers was Edward Ahmed Mitchell, an executive director for CAIR Georgia, who said the ruling is only a ‘setback.’
“As an American Muslim, I’m obviously disappointed and a little bit disgusted with the Supreme Court ruling, but I’m not depressed, and I’m not bowed. I’m not going to slick away. I’m not going to cry. This is not the end of the fight,” Mitchell said. “This was a setback in the struggle against Islamophobia, but this is not the end of the struggle against Islamophobia.”
Holley also said the discussion is not over and now people must apply ‘pressure’ to elected officials.
“This isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has made such a terrible decision like this, and that we can still move forward from here,” Holley said. “So this is not the end. We still have a long way to go, and that these decisions can be reversed, but only if we continue to put pressure on our elected officials.”
Glory Kilanko, director and founder of Women Watch Afrika, said the United States is betraying the world because of this decision.
“[The United States is] the only place you can come to for safety is and you think will sort of to a lighter extent respect human rights and dignity because you feel is a democratic government in this country, and now this country is betraying the world,” Kilanko said.
Near the midterms, Burrell Ellis, political director of the ACLU of Georgia, said it is the vote of the people that matters moving forward.
“Elections matter, because the ultimate will of the people is not about how the Supreme Court votes, it’s about how we vote,” Ellis said.
Despite the ruling, Nkenge Green, who came out in solidarity, said the movement now lies in the hands of the people who can push for change.
“People need to vote, and they need to get out there and protest to make a difference because we’re going backward right now and it’s up to us as a people to unite and fight against this bigotry and oppression,” Green said.
Even though the Supreme Court has made a ruling, activists and those in office are still looking to push forward with action.
Note: This story was written for PRN, the student-led news station at Georgia State University.
