The world has reacted in anger, solidarity and protest to US President Donald Trump’s Muslim immigration ban.
Taxi drivers have gone on strike, major corporations such as Google are condemning it and protests continue at airports across the US.
Germany’s Angela Merkel and Britain’s Theresa May, not known as advocates for human rights, are speaking up in opposition.
The Refugee Council of Australia called for a bipartisan commitment on offshore detention on February 1.
* * *
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has called on political leaders to urgently bring the people imprisoned on Manus Island and Nauru to safety in Australia.
Vincent Emanuele is a writer, activist and radio host who lives in the United States. He's a member of Veterans for Peace and the National Writers Union. A former US marine and Iraq War veteran, he spoke to Green Left Weekly’s Pip Hinman about the first days of the Trump administration and the mass protests that have broken out.
* * *
How would you describe the political atmosphere in the US after the Trump inauguration?
It did not take Donald Trump long to begin the war on immigrants, refugees and Muslims that he promised during his presidential campaign.
On January 27, he signed an executive order banning people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for at least 90 days and suspending the admission ofallrefugees from any country for at least four months, among other measures.
It also did not take long for many thousands of people to send a loud message in response: No ban, no wall, let them in!
Pressure has mounted on Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May to pull the plug on a planned state visit to Britain by far right US President Donald Trump On January 30, a petition to bar her new pal from Britain sailed past the one million mark.
The petition, which within hours smashed the 100,000 figure required to trigger a debate in Parliament , came as May faces a backlash, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn leading calls for the invitation to be withdrawn.
In response to the United State's President Trump's Muslim ban and his "bickering" with Australian PM Turnbull over the "US refugee deal" people have come out in protest across Australia to demand the US and Australia welcome refugees.
Thousands of people, especially young people came out for the Pride march in Melbourne on 29 January.
A first nations contingent led the march followed by a diversity of community groups from high schools to unions.
Hundreds rallied and marched through the streets of Brisbane on February 3 to join the global protests against the agenda of incoming US president Donald Trump.
Speakers included: Aboriginal elder Uncle Sam Watson, Queensland Council of Unions secretary Ros McLennan, human rights activist Rema Flihan, Kamala Emanuel from the Socialist Alliance and Tim Arnot from Socialist Alternative.
The march was vibrant and included a sit-in at a busy intersection.
Other rallies are taking place around the country.