About 150 demonstrators marched through downtown Morgan Hill Thursday night in an effort to raise awareness of human trafficking.
The protest was part of the July 30 Human Trafficking Global Awareness Day, said Linnea Locsin of Fit 4 Christ, one of the organizers.
Before marching down Monterey Road, the protesters gathered at the Community and Cultural Center. Protest organizers from Fit 4 Christ and Restore Children and Family Services addressed the crowd about the growing problem of human trafficking and what the public can do about it.
An estimated 27 million people are currently enslaved due to human trafficking worldwide, according to information presented at the assembly. Most of the victims are children and women, said Manny Borja of Fit 4 Christ.
“We are facing an evil that is bigger than any of us can handle by ourselves,” Borja told the crowd.
Fit 4 Christ and Restore partner with other organizations that work to raise awareness of human trafficking and rescue victims, Borja said.
The City of Morgan Hill closed Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue for the protest march, which followed the assembly at the community center. Police explained before the demonstration that with downtown sidewalks largely occupied by outdoor restaurant dining facilities due to Covid-19 orders, authorities thought it would be safer to let the protesters march in the street.
Outdoor dining areas on Monterey Road were busy by 7pm during the protest march. Many of the restaurant customers applauded in support of the protesters.
