New Anti-Trump Protests; Demonstrators March In Oakland, San Francisco
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Less than a day after protesters angry over the election of Donald Trump marched through the streets of Oakland lighting garbage fires on Broadway, large protests and marches blocked a number of streets in Oakland and San Francisco Wednesday.
Oakland Police estimated there were some 7,000 demonstrators marching through streets as of 7:00 p.m.
In San Francisco, another march was taking place early Wednesday evening as a huge crowd of thousands of protesters wound its way down Market Street with a police escort to a vigil in the Castro District.
Around 8:30 p.m., demonstrators marched to San Francisco's Mission District -- a neighborhood with a large Hispanic population. Shortly before 9 p.m., they arrived at San Francisco City Hall.
The Occupy Oakland Twitter account made multiple posts regarding two planned protests with one meeting at 14th Street and Broadway at 5 p.m. with a second meeting at Bancroft and Telegraph an hour later.
The two protests planned to march, converging at the federal building in Oakland after listening to speakers near City Hall in Oakland prior to the march.
Wednesday morning, Oakland police were assessing damage at several businesses after about 250 protesters marched through downtown in a protest over the election of the Republican candidate as U.S. president.
At about 11:45 p.m., a group of demonstrators gathered at 14th Street and Broadway and marched downtown. At about 12:20 a.m., the group walked onto eastbound state Highway 24 between Telegraph and Claremont avenues. One protester was seriously injured after being struck by a passing car.
The planned protests come after walkouts at a number of East Bay high schools that led to thousands of students marching to protest the results of the election.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf issued a statement Wednesday afternoon expressing understanding about the angry reaction to the election.
"As the Mayor of one of America's most diverse and progressive cities, I understand the shock and dismay so many feel about a Trump presidency," Schaaf said in the statement. "I assure all Oaklanders that our government will continue to protect ALL its residents and we will continue to defend our progressive values."
The statement pleaded for protesters to focus their energy on more positive outlets.
"I ask Oaklanders to not just get mad, get involved," the statement read. "Donate and work with organizations fighting bigotry and promoting inclusion, choice, environmental justice, income equality and immigrant rights."
The statement closed by saying, "Oakland chooses community, not chaos, in where we go from here."
The planned protests have led to the cancellation of a scheduled Oakland Unified School District Board of Education meeting Wednesday night because of safety concerns.
The meeting was scheduled for 4 p.m. in Oakland City Hall near where the Oakland protesters are set to gather.
A scheduled 5 p.m. meeting of the board of directors of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District was postponed until Nov. 16.