Melissa Sarmiento Allen
EBC Florida Bureau
LAKELAND, FL (Eagle News) — A large group of Polk County locals marched through the streets of downtown Lakeland, Florida on Saturday to protest in solidarity for the Families Belong Together Rally, a nationwide protest against the Trump administration’s “Zero Tolerance” immigration policy which has resulted in more than 2,000 children being separated from their parents.
Protesters, both young and old, were undeterred by the rain as they marched on with their bold signs, chanting in unison, “Love, not hate, makes America great.”
Many aimed to send a clear and direct message of disapproval to government officials in the current administration.
Rosie Alberson, a senior citizen and protester at the rally said, “This is the worst thing that has happened to America–to have families separated and children taken away from their parents.”
Emma Walters, a young protester who attended, had a simple message she wanted to address towards the government. “Don’t break up families. It’ll only cause more chaos,” said Walters.
While many of the demonstrators had politically charged messages to put forth, Bernie Warren, an educator and parent, explained that her reasons for participating in the protest came from a more personal level.
“I’m a mom. I’m a grandma. I’m an educator,” said Warren. “I’ve worked with children my whole life, so these are people [and issues] I care about.”
Many protesters also urged their fellow citizens to take advantage of and use their right to vote if they wish to see change in the right direction.
“The main thing is to vote,” said Caitlin Harding, a protester in her 20s at the rally. “There are so many people my age who don’t vote anymore because they’re afraid their voices aren’t going to be heard. We really need to vote in order for things to change.”
(Eagle News Service)
