SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – Hundreds of people gathered at the County Administration Building Downtown Thursday night to call on elected officials to denounce discrimination against refugees.
“We are gathered here to stand united, to stand with our extremely diverse refugee community and say that San Diego will not stand for this,” said Ramla Sahid.
The demonstration marked "International Human Rights Day."
Thursday's rally comes as a spate of anti-muslim rhetoric has rocked the nation following last week's San Bernardino's mass shooting and presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to ban all Muslim travel to the U.S.
[RELATED STORY: Trump calls for complete shutdown on Muslims entering U.S.]
San Diego City Council member David Alvarez announced Thursday he plans to incorporate the message "San Diego stand up for its refugee communities" in legislation to guide the city's lobbying efforts in Sacramento and in Washington D.C.
Several people spoke to the crowd, including representatives from local Islamic groups.
"We are all human. Everyone deserves the right to have a fair chance at living a good life," said a supporter.
Those who attended the rally took a stand against anti-Muslim rhetoric and potential anti-refugee legislation.