'Divisive, immoral, counter-productive': international backlash to Trump's travel ban
- 7 years ago
Private businesses, public figures, and world leaders – the list of condemnations is growing by the hour. A petition to cancel Donald Trump’s UK state visit has 1.3m signatories and rising.
Donald Trump remains on the defensive after signing an executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, alongside an order to suspend refugee programmes.
If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the “bad” would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad “dudes” out there!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
Divisive, immoral, counter-productive are just some of the ways the ban has been described around the world.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, the UN human rights office said it was mean-spirited and wastes resources needed for proper counter-terrorism.
World leaders
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to do everything to support those affected by the ban and condemned the anti-Muslim nature of the order.
“The necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain belief under general suspicion — in this case people of Muslim belief or of a certain origin. In my opinion, this act runs contrary to the basic principles of international refugee assistance and international cooperation,” Merkel said.
Public figures
British actor Ewan McGregor took to Twitter to call on UK citizens to sign the petition to cancel Trump’s trip over the ban.
Come on UK. Make a stand here. #nomuslimban https://t.co/Bqf6Y0XRgm— Ewan McGregor (@mcgregor_ewan) January 30, 2017
The Screen Actor’s Guild Award provided a platform for Hollywood to denounce Trump’s latest executive order.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays a vice-president in Veep, used her acceptance speech to speak out against the ban, saying the immigrant ban is a ‘blemish’ and ‘un-American’.
Vid: OfficialJLD (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), to applause, at #SAGAwards live on TNT: “Immigrant ban is un-American” #TTT pic.twitter.com/8vJ4Z62igd— Brent Baker (BrentHBaker) January 30, 2017
Actor Ashton Kutcher began his opening monologue addressing the crowd including ‘everyone in airports that belong in my America’.
Ashton Kutcher immigration speech SAG AWARDS 2017 https://t.co/8nJC2cXAV9 via YouTube— GingerDodds (GingerDodds) January 30, 2017
#Moonlight star Mahershala Ali with a deeply emotional and beautiful #SAGAwards speech about the pain of persecution pic.twitter.com/4HoPKfhRlK— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) January 30, 2017
Private Businesses
Ford Motor Company criticised the immigration order, becoming one of the highest profile US businesses to question the president’s decision. “We do not support this policy or any other that goes against our values as a company,“Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields said in a statement.
Goldman Sachs Group became the first major Wall Street leader to speak out against the ban. Reuters news agency r
Donald Trump remains on the defensive after signing an executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, alongside an order to suspend refugee programmes.
If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the “bad” would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad “dudes” out there!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
Divisive, immoral, counter-productive are just some of the ways the ban has been described around the world.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, the UN human rights office said it was mean-spirited and wastes resources needed for proper counter-terrorism.
World leaders
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to do everything to support those affected by the ban and condemned the anti-Muslim nature of the order.
“The necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain belief under general suspicion — in this case people of Muslim belief or of a certain origin. In my opinion, this act runs contrary to the basic principles of international refugee assistance and international cooperation,” Merkel said.
Public figures
British actor Ewan McGregor took to Twitter to call on UK citizens to sign the petition to cancel Trump’s trip over the ban.
Come on UK. Make a stand here. #nomuslimban https://t.co/Bqf6Y0XRgm— Ewan McGregor (@mcgregor_ewan) January 30, 2017
The Screen Actor’s Guild Award provided a platform for Hollywood to denounce Trump’s latest executive order.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays a vice-president in Veep, used her acceptance speech to speak out against the ban, saying the immigrant ban is a ‘blemish’ and ‘un-American’.
Vid: OfficialJLD (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), to applause, at #SAGAwards live on TNT: “Immigrant ban is un-American” #TTT pic.twitter.com/8vJ4Z62igd— Brent Baker (BrentHBaker) January 30, 2017
Actor Ashton Kutcher began his opening monologue addressing the crowd including ‘everyone in airports that belong in my America’.
Ashton Kutcher immigration speech SAG AWARDS 2017 https://t.co/8nJC2cXAV9 via YouTube— GingerDodds (GingerDodds) January 30, 2017
#Moonlight star Mahershala Ali with a deeply emotional and beautiful #SAGAwards speech about the pain of persecution pic.twitter.com/4HoPKfhRlK— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) January 30, 2017
Private Businesses
Ford Motor Company criticised the immigration order, becoming one of the highest profile US businesses to question the president’s decision. “We do not support this policy or any other that goes against our values as a company,“Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields said in a statement.
Goldman Sachs Group became the first major Wall Street leader to speak out against the ban. Reuters news agency r