Up To 10,000 Protest In New York, Around Country Following Trump Election Win
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Donald Trump's presidential victory set off protests in New York and across the nation Wednesday.
As CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported, a small group composed of dozens of protesters grew in numbers that unofficially amounted to between 7,000 and 10,000 – and the group was still growing by 9 p.m. The protesters took over Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower.
Protesters started at 6 p.m. in Union Square, and began marching north on Broadway to Sixth Avenue at 7:30 p.m. They eventually ended up at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, and later headed to Trump International Hotel & Tower at Columbus Circle.
The group chanted, "Not my president!" as well as "Black lives matter," and, "Love Trumps hate."
"Black lives matter" and "NYC against Trump" were also projected across from Trump Tower.
At the beginning of the protest, people stayed on the sidewalk, but they later marched in the streets and held up traffic in Midtown, police said. They shut down Fifth Avenue upon reaching Trump Tower.
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Some protesters even climbed lamp posts.
"It's an affront to democracy that he was elected, because he's a racist, homophobic, xenophobic nightmare -- misogynist nightmare," said KC Trommer of Jackson Heights, Queens.
"It's important today more than ever to resist the white supremacist, imperialist, capitalist state," another protester said.
Author, filmmaker and activist Michael Moore – who predicted a Trump victory months ago – was among those at the protest.
We have a messed up, archaic system that makes him the president," Moore told CBS2's Valerie Castro.
Police stood with the crowds as they marched past Trump Tower.
"If he actually cared about us, he'd be bringing us all together -- black, white, gay, Latino, impoverished, rich," said protester Solonje Burnett-Loucas.
Trump did say in his victory speech that he would work to unite the country. But protesters were not buying it.
Many passersby supported the protesters.
"It's only appropriate we're having this kind of reaction," one passerby said.
"I think they need to do it," another said. "There's a lot of anger; a lot of frustration."
But not everyone agreed – including many drivers who described the traffic as crazy.
"I think they should go home. They should all go home," one driver said.
"We should all unify and rally around President Trump," another said "I think it's done. Move on. Give our streets back."
Police said about 15 people were arrested at the Trump Tower protest and charges were pending, but most likely the charges would be disorderly conduct. The demonstrators did not have a permit to take over streets or block traffic, police said.
Several others were later arrested in Columbus Circle.
There was also a protest in Washington Square Park earlier in the day.
Protests were also held in other cities, including Philadelphia, where demonstrators gathered at City Hall to express their displeasure. Hundreds of protesters came together for an event held by the Philadelphia Socialist Alternative, CBS Philadelphia reported.
In Chicago, thousands of protesters gathered outside of that city's Trump Tower and later shut down Lake Shore Drive during a march around downtown, CBS Chicago reported.
Earlier in the day, several hundred students, faculty and staff marched across the University of Connecticut campus. They chanted slogans including "Donald Trump is not my president,'' held signs saying "support immigrants'' and carried rainbow pride flags.
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Many in the crowd expressed anger and disappointment, and said they plan to fight Trump's agenda, including building a wall at the Mexican border and not letting Muslims into the country.
Eeman Abbasi is a junior psychology and neurobiology major at UConn. She says as a Muslim student she feels the American people told her Tuesday night that even though she was born in this country she doesn't belong here.
Police said at least 500 people swarmed on streets in and around UCLA early Wednesday morning, some shouting anti-Trump expletives.
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There were no immediate arrests.
Smaller demonstrators were held at University of California campuses and neighborhoods in Berkeley, Irvine and Davis and at San Jose State.
There were also protests in Los Angeles Wednesday night as well as earlier in the day, when several students from downtown LA high schools marched to City Hall to protest the election, CBS LA reported.
Demonstrators also marched in Oakland and San Francisco. In Oakland, protesters lit garbage fires on Broadway, and there were reports that protesters burned Trump in effigy and smashed windows of the Oakland Tribune newsroom.
Oakland police told CBS San Francisco there were some 6,000 demonstrators in the streets Wednesday evening. In San Francisco, a crowd estimated at as many as 1,000 wound its way down Market Street to a vigil in the Castro district.
The California Highway Patrol says a woman was struck by a car during an Oakland protest and severely injured.
In Austin, University of Texas students marched through downtown and blocked the 1st Street Bridge, CBS affiliate KEYE-TV reported.
Students burned American flags at a protest at American University in Washington, D.C., CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported.
In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland and forced a delay for trains on two light rail lines.
Protests were also held in several other cities across the U.S.
Other local organizations have also organized anti-Trump protests throughout the country.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
