Chanting ‘Let Them in!,’ Hundreds Rally Outside White House to Support Syrian Refugees (photos)

Chanting “Let them in!,” hundreds of demonstrators assembed outside the White House in support of allowing Syrian refugees to enter the United States. The rally from which these photos were taken took place on Nov. 21. President Barack Obama has planned to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees to enter the United States.

Many protesters evoked the famous poem, “The New Colossus,” by Emma Lazarus that is engraved on a plaque mounted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty that reads in part, “Give me your tired, your poor . . . “.

Earlier in the week, the House of Representatives had voted to make it harder for the refugees to enter due to concerns that terrorists could pose as refugees and carry out attacks similar to those that took place in Paris on Nov. 13.

In addition, more than half of the country’s governors, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have said they will no longer provide placement for the refugees despite assurances from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security that the vetting of the refugees “is extraordinarily thorough and comprehensive” and “the most robust screening process for any category of individuals seeking admittance into the United States.”

Click on the icons below to view our photos from the demonstration in front of the White House. (All photos by Jeff Malet)