At a rally on Charlottesville’s downtown mall, the city’s mayor declared it a capital of the resistance, urging residents to stand against what he called un-American values.
Sandy Hausman has that story.
About 200 people cheered as Mike Signer attacked President Donald Trump, calling him a demagogue and urging residents to resist a White House ban on refugees and visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Charlottesville’s Mayor listed a series of problems the ban had caused and accused the administration of incompetence.
“We have, inside government, a technical term for this kind of mess," he said. " We call it a clown show, but this is not funny. These folks couldn’t run a two-car parade much less policies affecting the rights and lives of millions of people, and that is why I am here today to declare that Charlottesville, the historical home of Thomas Jefferson, is a capital of the resistance.”
Also on hand, Khizr Khan, the gold star dad who endorsed Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention and offered to lend Trump a copy of the U.S. Constitution. As he began to speak, the crowd turned on a loud conservative blogger who was narrating a video for his followers, demanding he be quiet.
Khan continued to speak and later expressed hope that opponents of Trump’s policies would prevail.
“We will never let these dark forces write this ugly chapter in our history," he said. "In political systems there are pendulums. They go this way and come sometimes that way, but our faith in our constitution is stronger today than before.”
Kahn signed autographs and posed for pictures with protesters but said he had no plans to run for office.
Mayor Mike Signer said he had organized a group of lawyers and law students to help refugees in the months to come, and promised to ask local officials what else Charlottesville could do to protect immigrants.