Tens of thousands of people have rallied in US East Coast cities to protest President Donald Trump’s executive order that blocked entry into the country for travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.

In New York, Washington and Boston, a second wave of demonstrations began after spontaneous rallies at many airports on Saturday (local time), when US Customs and Border Protection agents began enforcing the president’s directive.

The order, which bars admission of Syrian refugees and suspends travel to the United States from Iraq, Iran, Sudan and four other countries, has led to the detention or deportation of hundreds of people arriving at US airports.

One of the largest of protests took place at Battery Park in lower Manhattan, within sight of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, long a symbol of welcome to US shores.

The keynote speaker, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York, told the crowd that the Trump order was un-American and ran counter to the country’s core values.

“What we are talking about here is life and death for so many people,” Schumer said. “I will not rest until these horrible orders are repealed.”

A woman with an American flag themed hijab listens to speakers during a protest against President Donald Trump’s travel ban, in New York City, US, January 29, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

In Washington, a throng that swelled to more than 2,000 by early afternoon gathered at Lafayette Square near the White House, chanting: “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here.”

At the same time, about 200 protesters chanted at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

Seating and fences erected for crowd control during Trump’s inauguration on January 20 kept protesters from a street directly in front of the White House.

Aria Grabowski, 30, of Washington, was carrying a sign that read: “Never again means never again for everyone.”

Above the slogan was a photograph of Jewish refugees who fled Germany in 1939 on a ship, the St. Louis, that was turned away from Havana, Cuba, and forced to return to Europe. More than 250 people aboard the ship were eventually killed by the Nazis.

“Everyone should have their human rights respected, regardless of nationality or religion,” Grabowski said.

Demonstrators gather in Copley Square for the “Boston Protest Against Muslim Ban and Anti-Immigration Orders” to protest US President Donald Trump’s executive order travel ban in Boston, Massachusetts, US, January 29, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

Steve Barnes, 58, a law school administrator from Pennsylvania, arrived at the White House with a sign that read: “We are all Muslims.”

“It hurts me to the core. I’ve spent years promoting the US Constitution and now we’ve seen parts being challenged and that’s why I’m here,” Barnes said.

Organisers estimated that more than 10,000 people were gathering at Boston’s Copley Square to hear speakers including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a vocal critic of Trump and a leader of the Democratic Party’s liberal wing.

Rallies were also planned later on Sunday in other cities, including Houston, Detroit, St. Louis and Los Angeles.

– Reuters