House speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to call for an impeachment inquiry later today. Though those proceedings are likely to focus on a potential conflict of interest in President Trump’s dealing with Ukraine, they follow several tumultuous weeks in Washington, D.C. that have included protests of immigration and climate change policies.
After Friday’s climate strikes, thousands of activists participated in the “We the People” march in downtown Washington and in front of the U.S. Capitol this past Saturday. Participants chanted several slogans, including “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “lock him up!” referring to President Trump, saying that “elected officials work for us.”
One of the issues the demonstrators wanted to highlight was the Trump administration’s policy of separating families detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. Several advocated the permanent shutdown of the detention center for migrant minors in Homestead. The facility, which transferred out the minors and closed earlier this month, is still set to reopen next month or November and again accept minors.
“I wake up in horror knowing that children are being ripped from their families’ arms,” protester Renée Shoop told SFMN.
Several South Florida members of Congress, including Democrats Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Donna Shalala, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz have been urging for the facility to close and asked for an independent probe in the awarding of a no-bid contract to the company running the detention center.
Other issues the demonstrators brought attention to were gun control, climate change, and voter participation. “I am here to make sure that our politicians see that we want something done. They work for us,” said Therese Yglesias, a college professor in Michigan who had traveled to the capital to participate in the march. “We need to return to democracy, and we need our young people to help us by showing up to the polls.”
