Geneva, Switzerland - Representatives from dozens of social and racial justice organizations across the United States walked out of the US Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, to protest the American government's failure to meet its human rights obligations.

The action took place on Monday afternoon, one day before the United Nations Human Rights Committee began its review of the United States' track record on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to abortion access, LGBTQ+ equality, Indigenous rights, and more.

Participants waved signs and chanted "Derechos humanos, por eso aquí estamos" and "2-4-6-8 stop the violence, stop the hate" as they began their rally and march outside the US Mission.

Lilian Serrano, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC), was among those who walked out of the Department of State-organized meeting with civil society representatives. She made the journey from San Diego to Geneva to elevate the needs of people across the borderlands who have long been demonized and neglected by US administrations.

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"For way too many years, we have seen the militarization of our communities, violence in the hands of border patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents in our communities," Serrano said.

SBCC formed in March 2011 and quickly learned that the US government wasn't reporting the number of lives lost in border patrol custody. The group found there have been over 270 fatal encounters since SBCC began tracking the deaths.

The Start With Dignity campaign, of which SBCC is a member, argues that the high levels of violence against non-white people, regardless of legal status, and impunity for offending officers violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The treaty, ratified by the US in 1992, affirms the inherent right to life of all people.

"This year, we decided to take it to the United Nations because we know that ultimately, our fight is for human rights," Serrano explained. "We're fighting for our right to be alive, the right to go to the grocery store without the fear of interacting with a border patrol agent who will take your life."

After traveling across an ocean to have their voices heard, many of the advocates were frustrated to hear government officials rattling off what seemed like pre-prepared talking points instead of telling them what they needed to hear: what the Biden administration will do to protect communities under threat.

Serrano and other participants were prepared for disappointment. It was already the sixth meeting, though the first in person, in which many felt their questions were being ignored.

"I traveled all the way from San Diego. I got on two planes. I am tired. My community is tired. My community is dying," Serrano lamented.

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"We sat there for two hours, and we had enough," she continued. "We took it to the streets. When the US refuses to listen to us, we are looking for other platforms and other venues, and that's part of why we're here."

The advocates left behind a letter for President Joe Biden calling on the White House to update the use of force standard for federal law enforcement, prohibit racial profiling by all federal agents (including border agents), restore asylum at the US-Mexico border, and ensure the reunification of migrant families, among other demands.

The protest, which sought to shed light on the US' grave human rights situation, ended up getting stopped and broken up by police.

"We came to the United Nations with the hope that the rest of the world would join us in getting the United States to admit to the violations of human rights. As we're on the streets, our First Amendment right gets shut down by law enforcement," Serrano said.

"While they may have been able to shut down our protest, they won't shut down our voices," she added. "We are looking for any platform, anybody who will listen to us, because obviously, the United States government, President Biden, is not listening."