Santa Barbara businesses close for “Day Without Immigrants” protest

Several Santa Barbara area restaurants remained closed for business on Thursday to take part in the “Day Without Immigrants” protest.

Popular restaurants like “The Boathouse”, “Casa Blanca”, “Arnoldi’s”, “Los Agaves” and the “Fish House” all closed. A posting on their Facebook pages published on Wednesday reads: “We apologize to our loyal customers for the short notice, but as a statement of our commitment to our employees or families, and what we believe to be the spirit of America, we will be closed tomorrow, Feb. 16th, 2017.”

Comments under the photo are mostly supportive, but there are a few negative ones as well.

Several businesses in Santa Maria are closed on Thursday as well. Santa Maria’s “La Princesa” market also posted a sign on their door letting customers know they will not be open.

Students at Ventura Community College were recorded walking out to take part in the protest.

The nationwide grass roots effort spread rapidly through social media as a protest against President Donald Trump, and to show the impact of immigrants in the United States. The protest calls on immigrants to skip work, class and not go shopping.