In Washington Sunday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators lined Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House and packed Lafayette Square. Many held placards with messages such as ‘‘Islamophobia is un-American’’ and ‘‘Dissent is patriotic.’’

WASHINGTON — Protests were held in more than 30 cities, including Boston, over the weekend to protest President Trump’s refugee ban, and they continued after the executive order was partly lifted by federal courts.

At Dulles International Airport in Virginia, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators sang the national anthem and created a cheering gantlet for travelers emerging from customs.

The crowd yelled ‘‘Let them in!’’ and ‘‘Welcome!’’ as passengers, including some from majority-Muslim countries, rolled their suitcases into an airport that had become a makeshift law office and civics classroom in response to Trump’s executive order.


‘‘My kids go to school with people from everywhere,’’ said Sasha Moreno, of Reston, Va., whose 6-year-old daughter drew a little red statue of liberty on poster board along with the message: ‘‘Welcome to America.’’

Her daughter’s kindergarten class includes many students from Sudan, one of the countries targeted by Trump’s order, which has brought a sense of anxiety in her own family.

The idea that her daughter’s friends’ grandparents would be barred from visiting the United States just because of who they are is unacceptable, and she wants her children to know that’s not what America stands for, Moreno said.

‘‘There are lots of Muslim students at her school. Hearing this stuff going on is really confusing’’ to them, Moreno said. ‘‘We like the idea of them having friends from everywhere.’’

At the Washington rally, Amira Hassan, 26, remembered the excitement she felt when she flew into John F. Kennedy International Airport with her family as a refugee from Somalia in 2001.


Hassan is graduate student in public administration at American University and a naturalized citizen. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she has watched the rise of Islamophobia as her family built a life in the United States, she said. ‘‘It’s hard not to feel terrified and angry and sad and heartbroken,’’ she said.

Elsewhere across the nation, protests erupted Saturday and Sunday:

■ Chicago: Demonstrators rallied at O'Hare International Airport. The Chicago Sun-Times reported protesters blocked vehicle traffic to the international terminal for a time. The newspaper said some arriving travelers joined the protest, while others were upset by the demonstrations.

■ Dallas: Protesters who gathered at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday evening voiced their displeasure with Trump’s executive order. A crowd of a few dozen ballooned into hundreds of demonstrators who chanted ‘‘Set them free!’’ At times, cheers erupted as those who had been detained got released.

■ Denver: Dozens of people converged on Denver International to show support for refugees. In the main terminal, they sang ‘‘Refugees are welcome here.’’ Some held signs declaring their identity, such as Jew or Christian, and the phrase ‘‘I come in peace.’’ It wasn’t clear whether anyone has been detained in Denver under the president’s order.

■ Los Angeles: About 300 people expressed their displeasure at Los Angeles International Airport Saturday night, entering Tom Bradley International Terminal after holding a candlelight vigil.

Avriel Epps held a candle and a large photo a drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy who washed up on a Turkish beach in 2015 and became a haunting symbol of the Syrian refugee crisis.


■ Newark: More than 120 people clutching signs denouncing the Trump’s immigration orders gathered at Newark Liberty International Airport. NorthJersey.com reported they joined lawyers who had rushed to the airport to defend the rights of refugees and immigrants.

■ New York: Cries of ‘‘Let them in!’’ rose from a crowd of more than 2,000 people protesting at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where 12 refugees were detained Saturday. Celebrities including ‘‘Sex and the City’’ actress Cynthia Nixon joined the demonstration. ‘‘What Donald Trump did in the last 24 hours is disgusting, disgraceful, and completely un-American, and I'm here in protest,’’ said protester Pamela French.

■ Portland, Ore.: A protest by several dozen people in and around Portland International Airport briefly disrupted light rail service. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the demonstrators carried signs and chanted ‘‘Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here’’ and ‘‘No ban no wall America is for us all.’’

■ San Diego: As motorists honked their support, demonstrators outside San Diego International Airport chanted ‘‘No hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.’’

■ San Francisco: Hundreds of protesters blocked the street outside of San Francisco International Airport’s international terminal.

■ Seattle: About 3,000 protesters with signs and chanting ‘‘no hatred, no fear, immigrants are welcome here’’ and ‘‘let them in’’ gathered Saturday evening and continued demonstrating into Sunday.