As a response to the election of Donald J. Trump as the next President of the United States, thousands took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles in protest. Totals for the protest march were estimated between 8,000 and 10,000, more than one ABC7 news reporter indicated ever seeing at any other protest or organized gathering. In fact, the swarm of people stretched for miles, and helicopter news crews were unable to capture the entirety on camera.
Crowds began to gather in the morning for the 10:00 am start of the gathering at MacArthur Park. Event organizers had meant for the arch to end at U.S. Federal Building, but the protesters had other plans in mind and just kept going toward city hall. In an interview, one protester indicated a hope to see a message sent to Washington that many are not content with the idea of a Trump presidency and all Republican Congress.
The person interviewed also wished for a peaceful protest to occur with the crowd being able to express their freedom of speech. It would seem that such a wish would be granted, as there were no arrests made despite the huge number of individuals in attendance at the anti-Trump march.
One protester took the opportunity to use the event as a teachable moment for her granddaughter. The woman brought her granddaughter to the march as a means of providing an up close and personal lesson on civil protest. The young girl was said to have indicated that Trump supporters were scary due to their hate.
Union del Barrio was the main organizer behind the event and issued a statement indicating that the city had no intention of standing by for Trump’s racist and fascist attacks on the working class. The well-attended march received endorsements from several other city activist organizations.