By Landry Harlan
BU News Service
Chants of “not my president” and “love trumps hate” reverberated through the estimated crowd of 4,000 people at the Protest Trump in Boston march last night at Boston Common. The group Boston Socialist Students quickly organized the event over Facebook after Republican Donald Trump became President-elect yesterday morning, defeating Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.
“I cried all day. I haven’t slept or eaten,” said Tatyana Farmer, a young woman from Dorchester. “[This is] the stupidest decision we’ve ever made.”
The rally was a chance for many to air their grievances about the controversial Trump and his narrow victory, even after losing the popular vote. The massive crowd skewed towards youth, with a few exceptions. No matter their age, protestors echoed similar sentiments of fear and anxiety at the prospect of a Trump presidency.
“We’re all here because we’re so upset,” said Joanne Rossman, 77, of Roslindale. Despite her frustrations with the election results, Rossman was excited to see “all these wonderful young people” and hoped that after the protest they would continue to “stay active.”
Homemade signs ascended from the crowd gathering around the Parkman Bandstand and became prominent fixtures as the group started marching towards the MA State House on Beacon St. Numerous movements were represented, including LGBTQ rights groups, Black Lives Matter and NoDAPL.
Much of the anger arose from shock and confusion due to Hillary Clinton being heavily favored in pre-election polls. Many wondered how Trump won when the result seemed all but certain.
“I think Trump won because people didn’t tell anyone they were voting for him,” said Boston University senior Callie Ahlgrim. “It’s hard to find a silver lining right now. We still don’t know what he believes in or what he will do [as president].”
For some, the unifying aspect of the rally provided a grain of hope for the upcoming four years of Trump’s presidency. Ben Berners-Lee, an Emerson student who held a sign with Trump’s name slashed through, considers it an opportunity.
“I have extreme differences in ideology [to Trump], but we need o reconcile these differences,” he said. “I’m hopeful because there’s lots of people here tonight that have a brighter view of the future.”
Boston police called the demonstration “peaceful” and no arrests were made. No further protests have yet been scheduled.
