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          Trump's Wall Proposal Draws Jeers from Cleveland Protesters

   by William Gallo

   Several hundred protesters gathered outside the Republican Convention
   in Cleveland on Wednesday, denouncing the policies of Republican
   nominee Donald Trump, saying he is dividing the country with his
   criticisms of immigrants and Muslims.

   Demonstrators converged on one of the main entry points to the Quicken
   Loans Arena on Wednesday afternoon, shouting slogans as police cleared
   a corridor for delegates trying to reach the convention. The protests
   remained peaceful, although heated discussions took place between Trump
   critics and a few of his supporters.

   Kenneth Lane, a Trump supporter from New York, said President Barack
   Obama's border control policies "allow anyone to enter this country."

   Trump has said he will build a wall along the 3,200 kilometer U.S.
   border with Mexico, a proposal that Kelly Welch, another supporter from
   Wadsworth, Ohio, said "is the same as building a fence around your
   yard."

   The wall proposal has drawn ridicule from Democrats and immigrant
   rights groups for its symbolism, its immense logistical challenge and
   the claim that Trump could force Mexico to pay for it.

   'Wall off Trump'

   One Trump critic in Cleveland was dressed in a costume depicting a
   brick wall that said "Wall Off Donald Trump." Eric Cruz Lopez, a
   protester who said he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico living
   in Connecticut, said that Trump and his supporters are engaging in
   "hateful rhetoric" that would lead to policies that could harm large
   groups of Americans.

   ''Code Pink, a peace and social justice group that opposes war,
   denounced rhetoric that they said maligned refugees from Syria. Some of
   the protesters, dressed in pink as the U.S. landmark Statue of Liberty,
   ridiculed an effigy of the billionaire businessman.

   While the Republican convention has drawn a wide variety of protest
   groups with theatrical protests and organized action to draw attention,
   there are some critics who embraced a more low-key approach.

   Dispel Muslim stereotypes

   Sondos Mishal, a 17-year-old student originally from the Palestinian
   territories, said she traveled to the convention to dispel stereotypes
   of Muslims.

   "I'm here to show people how Muslims truly are. They're not the picture
   that Donald Trump has portrayed lately. The negative [views] he has
   given have actually affected a lot of Muslims lives' on a daily basis,"
   she said.
   She said American Muslims have been affected by the heated rhetoric
   from Trump and some of his supporters, who have suggested "testing"
   Muslims on their views of Sharia or banning them completely from
   traveling to the United States.

   There have been worries that the presence of both Trump supporters and
   critics could lead to a continuation of the clashes that have regularly
   broken out at Trump events across the country. However events so far
   have been largely peaceful, with only isolated scuffles amid a heavy
   police presence.

   WATCH: Pro-Immigration protesters clash with Trump supporter
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/trumps-wall-proposal-draws-jeers-from
   -cleveland-protesters/3427481.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/trumps-wall-proposal-draws-jeers-from-cleveland-protesters/3427481.html