On Saturday – amid a snow squall, brutal temperatures and just before the Bills game – protesters gathered in Niagara Square. They demanded an end to violence from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. military abroad, and within the U.S. correctional system.
"The American concept, principle, experiment was founded on the idea that we got to stand up to tyrants and dictators and fascists," said Oz, a protester.
Oz, who only gave his first name, said he came from another protest near the Boulevard Mall when he heard about this gathering. He says he came to stand up against U.S. actions in Venezuela and violence against immigrants here in the U.S.
"I mean, World War Two was about stopping fascism, and now it's home here? No, sorry. America will not abide. America will not abide. They can do whatever they want, but it's not going to end well for them, because America will not abide fascist bullies, tyrants, kings," Oz added.
Protesting didn't come without some concern for the large crowd. Many carried signs mentioning or spoke of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis less than two weeks ago.
"She's been on our minds since what happened in Minnesota happened because that's a real reality for any of us that are out here going against the regime," said Megan, a protester.
Megan, who also only gave her first name, carried a sign that said “no more blood for oil” and concentrated her energy on City Hall’s front steps.
"You can get hurt by the regime, and obviously we think about that when we come out here and do what we do, but it's not going to deter us," Megan said. "Fascism is not going to deter us from coming out here and making our voices heard."
Victoria Ross, one of the organizers of the event from the Western New York Peace Center, told BTPM NPR holding the event on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend was important to them, as the Peace Center was one of the first chapters of Clergy and Laity Concerned, which MLK Jr. was a part of.
The event was also held on the National Day of Action for No War On Venezuela and to kick off the Western New York Peace Center’s Stop Government Sponsored Violence and Stop US Military Aggression campaign.
