By Rob Carter
BU News Service
Speakers gave a crowd of 150 Boston University students, faculty, and community members the chance to channel their anger at Donald Trump becoming the president-elect Tuesday into plans for action at the Peaceful Protest Advocating for Human Rights in front of the steps of Marsh Chapel in Boston Friday evening.
Christian Rose, editor of Hoochie, the feminist journal which organized the event, said the intent was “to strengthen the feeling of common belonging in order to comfort and harden resolve.”
Zachary Bos, administrative coordinator for BU Core Curriculum, echoed the sentiment that this event was designed to foster community, hesitating to even call it a protest.
“This is not a protest,” said Bos. “We want to embolden members of our community to say something earnest and vulnerable and know there will be 150 people out here to support them.”
The speakers weren’t exactly singing Kumbaya though.
“You may want to grab Trump by the comb over and say ‘You can take that stupid wall and shove it up your a–,’” said BU philosophy professor John McCargar. “Hold onto that fire.”
Rev. Lawrence Whitney got in on the name calling too.
“I put a bottle of champagne in my fridge to celebrate the election of America’s first female president,” he said. “Instead, I have to raise my two beautiful daughters in an America run by the rapist-in-chief.”
Protesters said the anger was rooted in Trump’s treatment of minorities and the way his supporters have reacted to his election, citing increases in sexual violence against women, hate crimes, and suicides in the LGBTQA communities.
“People will die because of this and the world became less safe for many Americans,” said BU philosophy professor Suzanne Sreedhar. “We all know this and that’s why we’re here.”
Lucy Billings, a BU sophomore studying international relations, said the anger was not only justified, but necessary to building a community of organized opposition.
“The point of this is for people to realize they’re not alone,” said Billings. “My biggest fear is that people will forget how angry we are and become complacent. By remembering that we aren’t alone in that anger I hope we won’t become complacent.”
Organizers circulated petitions imploring BU’s administration to continue to work to make its campus as inclusive as possible despite the perceived intolerance of the newly elected president and his supporters. Others began aggregating email lists to organize future protests and find volunteers for mid-term election campaigns to try to win back congress from the republicans.
Doruk Uzel, a senior in the College of Arts and Science, said he was ready to channel the anger he was feeling into action.
“I refuse to give in,” said Uzel. “I vowed not to give in. I vowed I will resist Trump.”
