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'Hands Across The Land' peaceful gathering set Sunday to protest Everglades detention center

Protesters lined U.S. 41 outside the Alligator Alcatraz detention center on Tuesday as President Donald Trump toured the facility.
Kevin Smith
/
WGCU
Protesters lined U.S. 41 outside the Alligator Alcatraz detention center earlier this year as President Donald Trump toured the facility. A peaceful gathering called "Hands Across The land" is planned at the site this Sunday.

“Hands Across the Land” is being billed as a peaceful gathering outside the Everglades detention center on Tamiami Trail/U.S. 41 in eastern Collier County and planned this Sunday.

The event is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. and features speakers, music and an interfaith prayer vigil beginning at 5 p.m.

Those planning to go should bring bug spray and water.

The conservation group Friends of the Everglades was promoting the event on social media and urged those planning to go to bring bug spray and water, and signs.

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Friends of the Everglades has been among several conservation groups fighting the center, which was nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” by Florida state officials.

A statement by the group said the site continues to operate in violation of federal law that requires an environmental analysis of the site.

"Florida was recently awarded $608 million FEMA dollars — further proving the makeshift prison is a federal project that must comply with federal law," their social media statement said. "Friends of the Everglades has brought legal action and our case is strong. We’ll be in Atlanta in January for oral arguments to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, fighting to shut down the Everglades detention center for good."

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