A group of University of Missouri students denounced mass deportations and racism in a peaceful protest and march on Monday.
"Today we are a peaceful unity rally against mass deportation that also decries racism and racial profiling experienced by Latino community in recent times because of national measures," said Piper Molins, co-president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists at MU.
The Presidents Day Unity Rally was held outside on the MU campus amid freezing temperatures and increasing snowfall.
"I think it's incredibly important, right now especially, to organize in person," Molins said. "I think we are all tapped in, especially our college-age 18 to 24-year-old generation into getting our news online, often getting our news on social media."
Present at the protest was Jaymes Schrock, founder and president of Como Comunidad, a nonprofit dedicated to providing Hispanic people in Columbia education tools and a supportive environment, according to the Como Comunidad website.
Schrock spoke about his backstory, gave insight into the struggles of immigrants and what it means to have empathy for every person in the community.
"It means being a voice to those who feel like they're unheard, it's being an advocate to those who are afraid," Shrock said. "It means when our neighbor is down, we pick them up. Not just through our words, but through our actions."
The event also encouraged students to speak up and share their testimonies. One of those students was Ian De Smet, an MU student studying sociology and communication.
"We have allowed hate, discrimination and racism towards immigrants from all sorts of places to be normalized, to be accepted," De Smet said. "But what we can do here is protect us. Make it so people like freshman year me are not afraid to speak Spanish."
The unity rally concluded with a march through campus, ending at Peace Park near downtown. Protesters held signs and chanted as snow fell.
Molins said it's not only important to attend peaceful protests and gatherings but continue the conversations to push for change.
"Speak to your community members one on one and let them know that this affects all of us," Molins said. "Not only immigrants, not only people of color, but everybody in this nation."
