SAN DIEGO — Protestors chained themselves to the border wall Wednesday hoping to halt construction at Friendship Park. Four people tied themselves to the old primary wall which construction crews will tear down to replace it with taller 30-foot barriers.
"They will completely destroy the visual landscape as well as the binational garden and experience people have in the states and Mexico side," said Pedro Rios with Friends of Friendship Park.
For decades, Friendship Park was a place loved ones could meet from both sides of the border. More recently, access to the area has been controlled and monitored by Border Patrol.
"I've been involved with Friendship Park for a very long time almost 20 years now and am very upset about what's currently going on there," said activist Daniel Watman.
Watman went to the wall to try to stop construction and make a statement.
"I put up a sign on the wall that said 'Amistad Si, Muros No' which means Friendship yes, Walls no," he said. "Someone saw me do that and chained themselves to the wall."
Watman then chained himself to the wall and more people followed. Their protest stopped construction for several hours and they said they hope it caught the president's attention.
"The Biden administration can use the funds that were designated for this wall to create a different infrastructure that creates friendship," he said.
WATCH RELATED: Border wall construction continues at Friendship Park
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