#NotMyPresident Protests Enter Their Second Week

Tuesday, November 15 marked the seventh straight day of protests against the President-elect Donald Trump. Almost immediately after Mr. Trump was elected to be the next president of the United States, protests consisting of thousands of demonstrators erupted all over the country. By Friday November 11, an estimated 5,000 protestors gathered outside of Trump Tower in Manhattan, causing the police to form a barricade in front of the building so that the President-elect can conduct his business.

The protestors are predominantly college age students, consisting mostly of women, people of color and LGBTQ youths. Many carry signs saying “Love Trumps Hate” and “You Can’t Divide Us”. Rallying cries of “We reject the president-elect” and “Hey Ho Donald Trump Has Got To Go” could be heard throughout the country. Soon after the protests, which began Wednesday, November 9, a call for the Electoral College to, instead, vote for Hillary Clinton began. Soon this turned into a cry to get rid of the Electoral College altogether. The calls began after it was clear that while Donald Trump won the necessary amount of Electoral votes, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.

Demonstrator Mohan Warusha called Mr. Trump’s win “catastrophic” continuing “[I’m] feeling completely alienated, voiceless and desperately seeking to have a voice.”

There have been peaceful protests in New Hampshire as well, with a comparatively small demonstration held in Concord on November 11, with over one hundred protesters demonstrating. Roland DuBois, a theater major at Plymouth State Uni versity, went to the Concord rally, and commented about it saying “This was a peaceful protest that was protesting the election of Donald Trump as our president. The protest was attended by easily over 100 people and was permitted and protected by the Concord police department. It was organized by a former PSU student, Sophia Baer.” At least fifteen other PSU students went to the protest, all of whom stood with solidarity alongside their fellow protestors in front of the NH State House. Other demonstrations have been held in Manchester and Portsmouth NH.

While the majority of the protests have been peaceful, some have turned violent, causing the police to arrest protestors for disorderly conduct. In Oakland California, over 40 fires have been started, and Donald Trump has been burned in effigy. There have been multiple flag burnings in major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas at the American University.

The protestors face harsh criticism from the President-elect and his allies. Former mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani called those protesting “spoiled crybabies.”

Despite Donald Trump saying he would be a “President for all Americans” during his acceptance speech on Wednesday November 9, many citizens say they have felt the repercussions of what has been a bitter and divisive election and fear for what is to come under President Trump.

Amanda Chaffee and Roland DuBois at the protest in Concord.

COURTESY PHOTO/CLARA HARTMAN