Thousands gathered in Center City for March for Humanity

CENTER CITY (WTXF/AP) - A March for Humanity hosted by American Friends Service Committee took place on Market Street in Philadelphia, Saturday.

Hundreds of protesters against President Trump's travel ban -- many accompanied by children and wearing heavy jackets, scarves and caps to protect against the bitter cold -- gathered Saturday afternoon across the street from Philadelphia's City Hall and headed east on Market Street.

According to organizers, "We will not stand by quietly after the executive order that bans refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim countries (Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen). We oppose the ban and any other action that harms our communities or treats people with indignity."

They also said, "We invite people to create sanctuary for each other in the midst of this crisis" and consider that the idea everyday people can come together to keep each other safe.

Friday night, a federal judge put on hold Trump's executive order that applies to refugees and people from those countries who want to enter the United States. The White House promised a quick appeal and Trump took to Twitter to vent his frustration with the ruling.

Since then, the State Department said it reversed the cancellations of visas for foreigners and the Homeland Security Department says it stopped directing airlines to prevent visa-holders affected by the executive order from boarding U.S.-bound planes.

These were the scheduled speakers:
Kerri Kennedy | Associate General Secretary, AFSC
Rev. Gregory Holston | Executive Director, POWER
Ndeen Al-Barqawi | Poet, High School Student
Erika Almiron | Executive Director, Juntos
Celeste Zappala | Peace activist, First United Methodist Church of Germantown
Liz Ellis | Philadelphia NoDAPL
Bilal Khan | Young Muslims
Rona Buchalter | Director of Refugee Programming and Planning, HIAS-Pennsylvania
Lucy Duncan | Director of Friends Relations, AFSC
Jude Laure-Denis | Executive Director, POWER Northeast

These were the announced co-Sponsors:
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Interfaith coalition for the moral revolution
Jewish Voices for Peace- Philadelphia
Juntos
Nationalities Service Center
POWER
POWER Northeast
Women's March Southeast PA Chapter
Young Muslims

It comes at the end of a very busy day in Philadelphia.

Earlier, Vice President Mike Pence came to town to talk to members of the Federalist Society. He pledged that Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch will join the nation's highest court "one way or the other" while protesters on that issue gathered outside.