Former Rep. Beto O’RourkeRobert (Beto) Francis O’RourkeO’Rourke to announce White House run Thursday morning: report Democratic Florida mayor launching 2020 presidential exploratory committee Conservative group targets O’Rourke in new ad amid 2020 speculation MORE (D-Texas) on Monday joined a counterprotest in El Paso, Texas, opposing a rally where President TrumpDonald John TrumpGary Cohn says Trump trade adviser the only economist in world who believes in tariffs House transportation committee chairman threatens to subpoena Boeing, FAA communication Pentagon sets new limits on transgender service members MORE is expected to promote border walls.
Photos of the demonstration showed hundreds of protesters making their way through El Paso in the hours before Trump’s rally in the border city. Some protesters repeatedly chanted “build bridges, not walls” as they marched along the border fence separating El Paso from Ciudad Juárez.
Many demonstrators held signs condemning Trump’s rhetoric on immigration. One read, “Trump made America hate again.” Another propped up a sign reading, “Make tacos, not walls.”
Trump hosted a rally in El Paso on Monday night amid his calls for $5.7 billion in funding for a wall along the southern border. He said during his State of the Union last week that El Paso was an example of how walls work, a comment that prompted backlash from multiple local officials.
The rally and march that O’Rourke headlined sought to “show the country the reality of the border,” according to a statement released by O’Rourke’s office Friday.
“Beto O’Rourke will join with his city on Monday evening to show the country the reality of the border — a vibrant, safe, binational community that proudly celebrates its culture, history, diversity and status as a city of immigrants,” the statement said before the rally.
O’Rourke said during a speech at the rally that El Paso was one of the safest cities in the country.
“Safe not because of walls but in spite of walls,” he said.