Sasha Dyck was hoping to be in Washington, D.C., Friday for President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, but instead he’ll have to watch the event from north of the border.
The dual citizen was denied entry into the United States Thursday when he presented his Canadian passport at the St. Bernard de Lacolle, Que., border crossing.
He was with seven other people – five Canadians and two French nationals.
“I went down with people I met over the internet. We went down with two cars and we were turned away at the border,” he told CBC.
Dyck said that he wanted to go to Washington to protest Trump and the inauguration.
“I’m also part American and I wanted to be part of sending a signal and a strong message that Americans themselves are not pleased about the development.”
Dyck said that he and his fellow travellers told the border agents they were going to Washington, D.C., to take part in Saturday’s women’s rights march, an event where hundreds of thousands are expected to attend.
They did not mention attending Trump’s inauguration.
“We said we were going for the women’s march on Saturday – which is true. We did not talk politics at all.”
Dyck says they were then held for several hours, fingerprinted and had their cellphones examined.
“At the end they said, ‘You have to turn back.’ They probably figured Canadians coming down are not going to be sympathetic. They’re not there to cheer at the inauguration, especially since we said we were going to the women’s march. So they just turned us back.”
Dyck said the agents did not say why they were denied entry, but told them that if they tried to cross the border again this weekend, they would be arrested.
FUCKING HELL. This man is an American citizen, and he was denied the right to enter the US because he stated his intention to join a peaceful march. Be afraid, be very afraid.
‘We got sent back’: Montrealer denied entry into U.S. on eve of Donald Trump inauguration
Meg's Mumbles 