Anti-Trump protests balloon in downtown Oakland, S.F.
Thousands of people took to the streets of San Francisco and Oakland on Wednesday night to protest Donald Trump’s election to the presidency, joining Americans in other U.S. cities who vented their frustration with Tuesday’s race results at a string of swiftly organized rallies.
The crowd roared with such slogans as “People united will never be divided,” in reference to the Republican’s divisive comments — often construed as sexist and racist — during the heated campaign.
While Californians cast nearly twice as many votes for Democrat Hillary Clinton as the billionaire developer and reality star, the state’s 55 electoral votes were not enough to derail Trump’s unexpected path to victory.
San Francisco resident Kevin Wiggins, 24, who marched down Market Street, said the prospect of a Trump presidency is especially troubling because of his apparent lack of concern about police brutality.
With Trump pledging to drop a number of federal environmental protections, such as restrictions on fracking enacted under the Obama administration, Foothill Community College student Aaron Grulich of Redwood City said he is worried about the regulation unraveling.
Scores of police officers, many in riot gear, helped divert traffic around the San Francisco march, which, after causing congestion along Market, triggered minor backups in parts of the Mission District.
There were minor scuffles between officers and protestors, and reports of tear gas being deployed by police.
During demonstrations earlier Wednesday, immediately following the election verdict, a 20-year-old woman was struck by an sport utility vehicle and seriously injured as she and a couple hundred people spilled onto Highway 24 near Telegraph Avenue along the Oakland-Berkeley border.
The day’s protests, which included a smaller event on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, followed calls on social media, often with the hashtag “#NotMyPresident,” beckoning those averse to Trump’s presidential agenda and unhappy with what they see as his record of bigotry.
Like many, King said that her family was shocked that a candidate with plans to build a wall on the Mexican border and put checks on Muslims was elected to the nation’s highest office.
Clinton, in her concession speech early Wednesday, asked her supporters to accept the election results and give Trump a shot.