WATCH: Protesters, Counter-Protesters Demonstrate in Rockville Over Montgomery County’s Immigration Policies

ROCKVILLE, MD – Hundreds of demonstrators organized outside the Montgomery County Council building in Rockville, Maryland on Friday morning to respond to a string of rape cases involving at least seven undocumented immigrants in one month, following an executive order by County Executive Marc Elrich that stops any collaboration between federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the Montgomery County Police Department.

Last Friday, Elrich and the county council incited more frustration by vocal opponents to the county’s immigration policies when they released a statement calling critics “xenophobic” and likening them to “neo-Nazi sympathizers.”

“There has been a lot of inaccurate information spread by the White House, President Trump, Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli, local and national conservative news outlets and neo-Nazi sympathizers regarding our criminal justice system and its process,” a statement said. “These individuals and organizations should be ashamed for spreading false information seeking to establish a baseless, illogical and xenophobic connection between a person’s failure to obtain legal status and their propensity to commit a sex crime.”

In a statement released Monday, Elrich said, “To clarify our policy, I met with ICE officials today at the Executive Office Building. While the meeting was generally introductory, I believe that the conversation was productive; and more discussions will follow. I continue to appreciate that Montgomery County is one of the safest and most inclusive places in the Washington Metropolitan Area and the rest of the United States.”

In July, Elririch had likened ICE’s work to terrorism: “It’s really partly the definition of terrorism, to take the civilian population and subject them to constant fear, that is terrorism in its basic form.”

(LINK: TIMELINE: A history of Montgomery County’s sanctuary policies.)

Montgomery County Stands with Immigrants began their rally at 10:30 Friday morning across the street from the county executive building. Concerned Citizens Coalition of Montgomery County and Help Save Maryland #StandwithICE rally gathered at the steps of the county council building at 11 AM.

The police created a divider in the middle of the street to separate the rally on the steps and the counter protest across the street. When radio host Larry O’Connor thanked the police at the beginning of the dueling rallies, the counter protest across the street booed the police. The pro-ICE rally was more than twice the size of the pro-illegal immigration demonstrators. Montgomery County Councilmember At-Large Will Jawando and Evan Glass were among the speakers at the counter protest.

“We’re not a sanctuary city, folks,” county executive Elrich insisted to WMAL reporter Heather Curtis after the immigration rallies.

“All you see is the immigration rapes. There are, there were 500 something rape cases last year, rape and molestation cases, at least accusations, but if you look at our trend over the last three years, the number of these crimes is going down,” Elrich said.


FULL VIDEOS OF THE RALLY OUTSIDE THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL BUILDING ON FRIDAY AT 11 AM:

Watch: Here is the full video of the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Montgomery County and Help Save Maryland #StandwithICE rally featuring WMAL’s Larry O'Connor, Vince Coglianese, author Michelle Malkin, Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton and more outside the Montgomery County Council building today:

Posted by WMAL DC on Friday, September 13, 2019

Watch: Here is a view of the rally attendees and the protesters across the street outside the #standwithice rally

Posted by WMAL DC on Friday, September 13, 2019

Video of WMAL reporter Heather Curtis reporting on the ground from the Rockville #standwithice rally and counter protest

Posted by WMAL DC on Friday, September 13, 2019

WMAL Reporter Heather Curtis reports from outside the Rockville rally

Posted by WMAL DC on Friday, September 13, 2019

LINK TO MICHELLE MALKIN’S PERISCOPE VIDEO: https://www.pscp.tv/michellemalkin/1RDxlNjrMdDGL?t=1h9m55s


VIDEOS AND PICTURES: Here are the highlights of the rally in Montgomery County:


On Friday morning, “Open Borders Inc” author Michelle Malkin joined WMAL to discuss how she has seen the impact of illegal immigration on Montgomery County over the years as a former resident of the county and why she is attending the “Stand with ICE” rally in Rockville.

Part 1/2:

Watch: Michelle Malkin joined Vince and Mary in studio to discuss her book and the upcoming Montgomery County rally in Rockville today. (Part 1 of 2)

Posted by WMAL DC on Friday, September 13, 2019

Part 2/2:

Watch: Michelle Malkin joined Vince and Mary in studio to discuss her book and the upcoming Montgomery County rally in Rockville today. (Part 1 of 2)

Posted by WMAL DC on Friday, September 13, 2019

On August 28th, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich defended his county’s policies on WMAL’s morning show.

“What you call ‘sanctuary’ but what we prefer to think of is a more welcoming policy toward immigrants,” Elrich said.

On WMAL, Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), offered to debate Elrich about his immigration policy.

In early September, WMAL’s “Mornings on the Mall” co-host show host Vince Coglianese appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to explain how illegal immigrant crime was impacting Montgomery County:


 

 

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