The political action group Rise and Resist held a peaceful action opposing Trump’s attacks on Congresswomen Omar, Tlaib, Pressley, and Ocasio-Cortez inside Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York City on Wednesday continuing its “Summer of Action.” While the Trump Tower house rules forbid posters and signs of any kind, the activists circumvented this minor detail by wearing shirts bearing the individual names of “The Squad” with the headline “Stop the Attacks.”
About 20 resisters entered Trump Tower around 1 pm and lined up on two sides of the lobby drawing the attention of not only visitors but also security personnel who obviously were unsure of how to proceed, especially since none of the members engaged in illegal activities. Some visitors took issue with the event while others agreed with the activity. Before exiting the building, activists traveled up and down the Atrium elevators visiting Trump’s campaign store on the lower level and posed with the relatively large sign that encourages visitors to visit his stores on the main and lower level.
The action came in response to Trump’s racist tweets a couple of weeks ago telling the congress members who all are women of color, to go “back where they came from.” He continued his tirade at a rally in North Carolina on July 17, where his supporters singled out Representative Ilhan Omar chanting “send her back” while he looked on. Later he tried to distance himself from the chants, yet double-downed by reviving his Twitter attacks calling the congresswoman “Foul-Mouthed Omar” and defending his followers. The following weekend Representative Ilhan Omar, who immigrated to the United States as a Somali refugee in 1992 and became a naturalized citizen in 2000, was greeted by a crowd of supporters at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport in a show of solidarity.
