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Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer declared the city a “capital of resistance” to the administration of President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon.

Signer hosted a news conference in front of City Hall, calling on attendees to help fight Trump’s orders on immigration and the refugee program, including the 90-day travel ban on citizens of seven countries considered a high risk for terrorism by administration officials.

Signer’s announcement — which included speeches from local religious leaders and refugee advocates — drew a crowd of hundreds of people to the Downtown Mall.

“The word ‘resist’ has a special meaning — it comes from the Latin word [for] ‘to stand,’” Signer told the crowd. “And that’s what you all are doing today: you’re standing for American values.”

Signer, who teaches political theory courses at the University of Virginia, called Trump a “demagogue” and said the orders unfairly cast suspicion on refugees who are fleeing violent conflicts from the countries on the ban list.

“They are hearing the message from Americans that they do not belong here,” he said. “I disagree completely — they are exactly the people we need here.”