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Marchers in San Luis call for family reunifications

More than 100 people marched down Main Street in San Luis, Arizona on Saturday to call for the speedy reunion of families separated at the border. Many held signs and dressed in white as a sign of solidarity.

They chanted slogans including "Love, Not Hate, Makes America Great" as they walked from the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center to the San Luis Port of Entry and back for a planned rally. The march coincided with a national day of action around the country sponsored by a group called Families Belong Together.

"I can't stand what this president is doing to our country," said Yuma retiree Donald Griggs, 70, who was wearing a hat and collared shirt emblazoned with the American flag. "To see the way these kids are being torn apart from their families, it's not right, it's not moral, it's not humane."

The rally included speeches, songs and poetry from local political activists, elected officials and others. There were calls for more humane treatment of migrants being held in detention centers.

"It's important that we speak up for those who can't," said Nathalie Hernandez Barahona, 25. "This is a nation built on immigrant work and we can't forget that."

Attendees were encouraged to vote in November and to register if they had not already done so.

There was no sign of counter protestors during the event, which was organized by a local group called Our Revolution, said organizer Eliza Castaños.

Victor is originally from West Sacramento, California and has lived in Arizona for more than five years. He began his print journalism career in 2004 following his graduation from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Victor has been a reporter for the following daily newspapers: The Monterey County Herald, The Salinas Californian and the Reno Gazette-Journal, where he covered stories including agriculture, education and Latino community news. Victor has also served as a local editor for Patch, a national news organization with hyperlocal websites, in Carmichael, California in the Sacramento area. He also served as the editor for The New Vision, the newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, which includes Yuma and La Paz counties. Victor lives in Somerton. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and following most sports.
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