Pittsburgh residents protesting during Trump's visit.
Residents of the Squirrel Hill community staged a solemn protest Tuesday in opposition to Donald Trump's unwelcome visit to the Tree of Life Synagogue where 11 people were murdered Saturday in an anti-Semitic attack.
Although Trump was convinced by his Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner to go and pay his respects, many members of the Pittsburgh community, including Mayor Bill Peduto, had requested that Trump delay his visit until all 11 victims had been properly laid to rest. But such a show of selflessness, sympathy and decorum was just a little too much to ask, so Trump pushed ahead Tuesday afternoon with Melania, Ivanka, Kushner, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and chief of staff John Kelly in tow. Tellingly, not a single Congressional lawmaker nor any politician joined him, despite invitations to Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey and many others.
Faced with a genuine dilemma of how to greet a sitting pr*sident who was supposedly coming to console a community ravaged by his hate speech, the local affiliate of If Not Now organized an event that was one part protest, one part Shiva—striking a balance between honoring both the political moment and the sacred Jewish ritual of mourning the dead.
As Trump arrived in Pittsburgh and descended on Tree of Life Synagogue, thousands of protesters marched through the neighborhood, reciting the Mourner's Kaddish and singing the prayer Ozi v’Zimrat Yah (meaning, my strength balanced with the song of God will be my salvation). They carried signs with messages like "Hate Speech Incites Violence," "We Are Stronger Than Hate," and "Vote for Love." The show of restrained solidarity was a striking contrast to all the recent GOP charges of Democratic mob-like protests.
Trump went inside the synagogue vestibule for nearly 20 minutes before exiting to place one stone and one rose bud from the White House at each of the 11 memorials staged outside. When he and his entourage finally left, marchers turned their backs on the motorcade in silent protest.
Trump will now turn to his final campaign push, barnstorming eight states and holding 11 rallies, starting with two in Florida on Wednesday. It's a fair bet that Trump refused to delay his visit to Pittsburgh precisely because it would have interrupted the final stretch of rage-filled rallies he depends on to feed his flagging ego.
Please check out pictures and video from the protest/Shiva below.
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