Marco Rubio's office dubbed 'Klan House 305' by immigrant rights protesters
A small group of immigrant rights activists in Florida held a mock ceremony in front of Senator Marco Rubio’s office on Thursday morning to induct him into the “Trump Klan.”
The activists said they made Sen. Rubio a member of the “Trump Klan” due to his support for the Republican presidential candidate, despite his xenophobic, racist and homophobic positions.
“We’re calling on Rubio to denounce Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric,” said Mexican immigrant Juan Carlos Carabantes, standing outside Senator Rubio’s office in Doral.
Carabantes, 21, also dubbed the Senator’s office “Klan House 305.”
Carabantes, who represents a group that calls itself the Honey Badger Squad, says Rubio could still redeem himself by denouncing Trump’s controversial comments.
“If Rubio really stands for our Hispanic community, we ask him to no longer endorse Trump,” Carabantes told Fusion in a telephone interview after the protest.
Rubio, whom Trump called a “choke artist” during the primaries, had earlier blasted Trump as “the most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency.” But after months of distancing himself from Trump and insisting he was done with state politics, the Florida politician decided to get back in the race for senate and embraced Trump’s candidacy.
Rubio praised Trump in a video message at the Republican National Convention and said it was “time to stop fighting each other.”
“Unlike Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump is committed to cut taxes, curb spending and get our national debt under control,” Rubio said in his ad endorsing Trump. “Donald Trump takes seriously the threats from Islamic radicals and is committed to rebuild our military.”
Thursday’s small protest in front of Rubio’s office ended with activists urging everyone to register to vote. “Take advantage and exercise your right to vote,” said Carabantes, who is undocumented and has been living in Florida since he was four years old.
Rubio’s office did not comment on the protest, but confirmed that staffers met with three of the activists. Protest organizers say there group was eight people and two were allowed inside the building with a security escort.
The activists say today’s protest was the first in a series of demonstrations aimed at pressuring elected officials who claim to support Latinos but also endorse Trump’s candidacy.
“If he’s standing with Trump he’s standing with all of Trump’s hate speech,” insists Daniela Martin, one of the few protesters at today’s demonstration.