Thousands of protesters swarmed the streets of several major cities Wednesday to voice their opposition to Donald Trump, who less than 24 hours earlier stunned the world in a upset victory to become the 45th person elected president of the United States.
Chanting "Not my president" and "F--- Trump," the scene outside Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago felt like a grand uprising — one where minority groups who have felt targeted by Donald Trump over the past eighteen months hoped to send a direct message to the president-elect.
"I'm here today because I'm speechless at what happened," Rebecca Gomez, 22, told NBC News. "I'm Mexican, but I was born in the United States. I'm afraid people won't care about that, though. I'm afraid they will be violent."
In New York, thousands of protesters could be heard chanting and banging drums as they marched past Rockefeller Center up Sixth Avenue, barely even acknowledging the rain.
"It's horrible that we have to do this," said Trevor Wheeler, 18, a North Dakota native who now lives in New York City. "I identify as a queer person. I will most likely lose my right to get married... I will not be able to present myself the way I want to."
Some chanted "Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Donald Trump must go away!" and "F--- your wall!"
At various points during his campaign, Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country, vowed to forcibly remove millions of undocumented immigrants[1] from the United States and spoke of African Americans[2]' communities as crime ridden and bleak, among other comments. He also said[3] he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would reverse the landmark decision that legalized marriage equality across the country.
Protests against the Trump have taken place in New York, Chicago and Seattle, Portland, and several cities in California.
At Berkeley High School, which has a significant population of Hispanics and African-Americans, students staged a walk out[4] in protest of Trump's win while chanting "Love trumps hate" and "Not our president."
An "emergency protest" was organized in Chicago where thousands gathered in from Trump's hotel to express their disdain.
Though Trump performed better[5] than Mitt Romney in 2012 among black and Hispanic voters, the business mogul's win metastasized long-standing apprehensions among many Latinos, Muslims, African-Americans, and members of the LGBTQ community, among others who say they really don't know what the tomorrow holds for them.
Related: Undocumented Immigrants Tell Trump They're #HereToStay[6]
For example, 68 percent of black voters told NBC News during exit polls that they would feel "scared" if Trump wins compared to 30 percent of white voters who said they felt that way. And despite Trump's attempt to peel away LGBTQ voters with targeted appeals in speeches[7] and even campaign merchandise[8], those efforts were viewed by many among t hat group with suspicion, some activists say.
"The future of coming out depended upon who we voted in. Today that future looks darker," said Hannah Simpson, a transgender activist.
The sentiment resounded throughout the streets of Chicago.
"I'm a queer woman and I'm afraid that who I am is under threat," said Erin Uttich, 24. "People have to know that even though the electoral college chose him, he is not my president."
Minority voters worry about who Trump will pick for his cabinet and various appointments, said Andra Gillespie, an Emory University political scientist. They also worry about how a Trump administration will tackle issues of voting rights, policing and immigration policies.
"The question on the minds of these people is if Trump will govern the way he campaigned," she said. "He's said a lot, but without a track record, it's unclear what he will actually do."
A Counsel on Islamic American Relations survey of registered Muslim voters last month reported that 85 percent of respondents[9] believed Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment had increased in the last year— a rise they link to the rhetoric in the divisive presidential campaign.
"I'm not afraid of Trump. I'm afraid of all those people who've followed in his hate and racism. I'm afraid because there's a possibility that the dreams of my children will end," said Maricruz Ramirez, an undocumented mother of three. "And now I fear that with this new president, that opportunity might get taken away."
Related: Analysis: The Vengeful World of Donald Trump, and Why It Matters[10]
And while some are still shocked in disbelief, others have taken to the streets to express their rage.
"All day long I've been facilitating between shock, disbelief, grief, anger, horror, shame and I knew I had to come out here because this is not the vision of the world that I can bear to live in," said Edita Birnkrant, 39, in New York.
She added that she believed the country was moving backwards. "It's just impossible to even imagine how we can go forward in the coming days or weeks knowing what's to come and knowing that the vision of the world and the changes that a President Trump said he wants to make are truly terrifying," said Birnkrant.
Despite the fears, many Trump critics are refusing to back down. In a press release, the Counsel on Islamic American Relations vowed that "American Muslims are here to stay."
"We are not going anywhere, and will not be intimidated or marginalized," said the group. "God willing, the American Muslim community will continue to mobilize to challenge bigotry, to uphold justice and to protect the freedoms and rights of all Americans."
Some groups are banding together using Trump's election as an opportunity to work harder.
"The next four years are going to be hard for all of us, but this is an unprecedented chance for all of us to fight as one," said Jonathon Lovitz, the senior vice president of National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Think of the possibilities when all minorities stand together."
"The resistance begins today", Ben Jealous[11], the immediate past president of the NAACP wrote in a column for NBC News.
"We must build the most robust movements we have ever known to defend our rights and those of our neighbors, protect our planet, end poverty, and shift the world away from war and towards peace," he wrote.
References
- ^ vowed to forcibly remove millions of undocumented immigrants (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ African Americans (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ said (www.politico.com)
- ^ staged a walk out (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ performed better (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Undocumented Immigrants Tell Trump They're #HereToStay (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ speeches (www.washingtonblade.com)
- ^ campaign merchandise (shop.donaldjtrump.com)
- ^ 85 percent of respondents (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Analysis: The Vengeful World of Donald Trump, and Why It Matters (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Ben Jealous (www.nbcnews.com)
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