Protesters are using Presidents' Day to demonstrate against Mr Trump's national emergency (Image: GETTY)
While Americans typically celebrate the day by attending parades and taking advantage of sales, MoveOn.org is urging people to take to the streets today to protest against President Trump’s “dangerous” move. Demonstrators are beginning to gather in Washington DC and across the US to call on members of Congress to take action against what they call Mr Trump’s “fake crisis”. On Friday the president declared a national emergency which will allow him to take money from other parts of the government to build a wall on the US-Mexico border - one of his key campaign promises.
The president and first lady headed to Florida for the long weekend (Image: GETTY)
The controversial move means he can bypass Congress, where Democrats refused to pass a spending bill which would allot $5.6billion for the project.
A statement posted on MoveOn’s website read: “We are mobilising on Monday (Presidents’ Day) with nonviolent rapid-response events to stand up to defend our democracy and immigrant, Muslim, black and brown communities from Trump’s dangerous national emergency power grab.”
The nonprofit advocacy group called on Americans to “come and voice your outrage” and to “fight Trump’s fake crisis and racist deportation force”.
It said Mr Trump's declaration was an abuse of power and usurpation of Congress.
Mr Trump speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House after declarin a
