Border wall protest held in Pittsburgh Monday

PITTSBURGH — People in Pittsburgh protested President Trump's U.S.-Mexico border policy Monday.

Similar protests happened in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and other major cities nationwide.

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Opponents of the president say building a border wall is racist.

In Pittsburgh, there were dozens of people holding signs and chanting their messages of disapproval of Trump's national emergency declaration.

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Dozens of demonstrators swarmed the steps of Pittsburgh’s City County building in protest of the president’s emergency declaration on the U.S. border.

"This state of national emergency is ridiculous," said Donna Tressler, of South Park.

Even passersby along Grant Street showed their support for the demonstrators.

Pittsburgh was one of several cities across the country where people rallied in response to the president's announcement.

Last week, Trump declared the national emergency to access billions of dollars in order to build a wall between the southern border and Mexico.

"I live with this every day," said Jamie Krashna, of Pittsburgh. "I have people mistreat me and say horrible things and it's unforgivable. The wall is an assault on people of color."

Krashna, a retired nurse, was one of several people who spoke during Monday’s protest.

Mayor Bill Peduto also showed his support – agreeing there is an emergency – but says it’s in our own backyard, not across the border.

"I'm here to declare that we are in the state of emergency. And that emergency is an opioid epidemic that is tearing families apart and we need help from Washington. That emergency is gun violence that stole the life of an honor student in Homewood just because he was playing a video game inside of his house," Peduto said.

The honor student he is referring to was Jonathan Freeman. No arrests have been made in his death.

Channel 11 reached out to the Republican Committee of Allegheny County for comment on Monday’s protest.

We’re still waiting to hear back from them.

Cox Media Group