By Shannon M. Hoffman, Contributing writer

REDONDO BEACH >> Protesters roared Saturday morning at the intersection of Hawthorne and Artesia boulevards, as roughly 350 people protested President Donald Trump’s immigration policies — loudly.

Immigrant children have been held at detention facilities, separated from their parents, under the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, an approach that was called off by an executive order signed by the president. Protests continue, however, as many children still haven’t been reunited with their parents — and Saturday’s rally was part of a ationwide network of demonstrations.

The din at the intersection near the South Bay Galleria mall — fueled by chanting, shouting demonstrators and honking motorists — was so loud people had a hard time communicating with one another. Signs at the rally called the policy “cruel,” and “not the America (they) grew up in.”

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Tracy Pilger, left, her sons River and Blake, and Kayla Vokotek protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)



Therese and Ed Martinez and Anjali Rangaswami protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Pat O’Hara and David Poster gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)



Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Lee Johnson and her daughter Shiloh, 8, protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Lee Johnson and her daughter Shiloh, 8, protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Irma, right, and her daughter Micaela Enriquez protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Jenifer Briggs, left, and Judy Sartor protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)



Therese and Ed Martinez and Anjali Rangaswami protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Judy Pang and John Duncan protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Lucia Camacha protests on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Don and Jackie Zimmerman protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)



Jan Schaefer makes her views known on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)



Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Anjali Rangaswami and her sons protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Therese and Ed Martinez and Anjali Rangaswami protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Therese and Ed Martinez and Anjali Rangaswami protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)



Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Therese and Ed Martinez and Anjali Rangaswami protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Greg and Betty Gottsdanker protest on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters gather on Hawthorne Boulevard near the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach on Saturday, June 30, 2018, joining similar protests all over California and the nation to protest President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly separating immigrant parents from their children. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Protesters chanted “keep families together,” blew whistles, emoted through bullhorns and even shed tears.

Julian Burger of Wilmington broke down. “We’re talking about the suffering of children,” he said through sobs. “I can’t believe we live in a country where this is going on.”

Related: Tens of thousands of protesters march in Downtown Los Angeles and around Southern California

No pro-Trump counter-protesters showed up at the rally, though some people drove past waving “thumbs down” gestures. A motorist yelled: “You can’t stop the Trump! He will prevail!”

Though he said he didn’t agree with the separation of families, Chris Dugan said “These people need to go do something” while stopped at the intersection.

“Go make some money,” Dugan’s friend, Nick Applegate, 20, said from the back seat. “I think immigrants belong here, but legally. There are rules,” he said. “That’s what makes America great.”

Tammy Skeatch of Redondo Beach was one of the many protesters who said she’s only started marching this year, simply because she just doesn’t know what else do. “I’m even thinking about going down to one of the (detention) centers,” she said.

Protesters, mostly 40 to 50-year-olds, gripped impromptu signs elevated with yardsticks and plastic piping. Some said:

“Free the children”

“Caging children. What’s next?”

“Human. Kind. Be both”

“Love thy neighbor”

And “Deport Trump.”

“Whatever policies they want to enforce,” said Helen Kim, a second-grade teacher from Rancho Palos Verdes, “using children is not the right way to do it.”

Kristen Knaus, 16, was one of the only teens on the scene. She came with her mother, Jane Knaus, and her grandmother, Jan Schaefer, and all three clenched signs.

“I think it’s awful what’s happening. … I’m definitely going to start voting as soon as I can.”

Some brought with them blank poster boards and permanent markers to make signs on the spot. Arohi Sharma, 28, knelt on the pavement and wrote in big black letters, “Stop pretending your racism is patriotism.”

“There’s a lot of good vibes here today,” she said. “I hope it brings attention. … We’re holding this administration accountable.”