At least 200 people gathered Saturday night at Lake Eola to protest President Donald Trump’s executive order that prevents immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. 

The crowd chanted sayings, including “This is what America looks like” and “love trumps hate” as they prepared to march around the lake. Many came with signs asking for a halt to the ban and a stop to hatred and racism.

Jeremiah Blanchard, 36, said his three children were the reason they came to protest. 

His kids, who range in age from 5 to 10, made signs the Friday night, one reading "please don't break up our family."

Blanchard and his wife, who is originally from Japan, met while he studied in Japan. 

"We've never done anything like this with protesting or anything, but the way I view it, this could have been our family," he said. 

"[Our kids] wanted to come out because they know their mother isn't originally from here and they see others not being allowed to enter the country not because they did something wrong, but because of the country on their passport," Blanchard said.

The event's organizer, Paul Mifsud Jr., 20, said the event is about spreading the message of love and diversity. 

"I've seen a lot of protests recently that had a counterproductive message," he said. "We don't want that. We want this to be about uniting our community no matter what race or what religion or what skin color you have because after all, that's what our county was founded on: diversity."

Before the group marched around the lake, people of different nationalities and religions spoke about the need to unite and the importantace of reaching out to elected leaders.

"We all have a voice," said Dhiya Suresh, 16,  while making a sign for the protest that read "Here to stay #noban".

Suresh was born in India and immigrated to the United States when she was young.

"We need more understanding from people and our leaders," she said.

A federal judge in Seattle ruled late Friday that the order was unconstitutional, allowing people overseas to board flights coming to the United States. 

Afterward, the White House issued a statement calling the ruling “outrageous.” The Department of Justice filed an emergency request Saturday to halt the judge’s ruling.

This is the third weekend of protests across the country since Trump took office in January.

chayes@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5493 or Twitter: @journo_christal

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