Hundreds of residents in Mogadishu poured into the streets on Friday to protest remarks made by US President Donald Trump, who referred to Somali immigrants in the United States as “garbage.”
Trump, speaking during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, claimed Somali Americans “contribute nothing” and declared, “We don’t want them in our country.” The comments have drawn widespread criticism in both Somalia and the United States.
“We are demonstrating against Trump’s degrading words calling us garbage,” protester Ridwan Mohamud told reporters. “We are not garbage. He is the one acting like trash. Since he has failed politically, he is trying to distract the public.”
More than 250,000 people of Somali descent live in the US, including Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a prominent critic of the president. Protesters in Mogadishu carried placards with Omar’s image and chanted slogans denouncing Trump’s rhetoric.
“Trump has attacked our dignity, and we will not tolerate it,” said protester Fadumo Ahmed. “We are Somalis, and we have our pride. He does not understand that.”
Trump’s comments followed reports of fraud tied to social security programs in Minnesota, a state with a significant Somali American population. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other state leaders have condemned the president’s statements.
