Crowds Numbering in the Hundreds Gather in New York City to Protest Travel Ban

Crowds have descended upon Union Square in New York City in the hundreds. 

They are protesting President Donald Trump's travel ban that came into effect Thursday at 8 p.m. 

"I believe that America is a country of liberty and of freedom, and that we should be accepting of all people," said one woman, according to Spectrum News NY 1. 

They also report that organizers will facilitate a town hall about Muslims.   

New York Immigration Coalition's Murad Awadeh says, "The use of national security as the rationale for implementing the Muslim ban is quite comical, to say the least."

The new ban requires any refugee or visa applicant coming from Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Syria, and Yemen to have "close" business or family connections. 

Extended family are not considered "close" enough, but a spouse, parent, or child is. 

U.S. consulates and embassies received the guidelines on late Wednesday. 

On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed this modified ban to be carried out after previous versions of the ban were halted by lower courts.