Thousands of Bay Area residents came out on the streets to protest the election results that declared Donald Trump as President of the United States. Protestors marched down from Market Street to Castro with chants that varied from “Trump says get back, we say fight back!” and “No Trump! No KKK! No racist USA!”.
As over two thousand people marched down Market Street, a few hundred gathered in the Castro at a vigil at Harvey Milk Plaza. A space for queer people of all stripes and people of color, who are devastated from the election results.
Hundreds stood in silence embracing each other often breaking down as they came to terms with what they considered a day of mourning for progress in America. We spoke to some of them about their experience and how Trump’s presidency impacts them. Here are their stories:
Rebecca Troeger and Linda Campos work as student advisors and they stood together at the vigil in Castro:” I am an immigrant so I can’t believe that America is can disregard racism this way, so indifferent to racism,” Campos said, tears rolled down her eyes as she spoke about her fears about Trump’s presidency. Troeger who stood close by added: “We both work as student advisors and deal with international students. I have been crying all night and recovering from shock. I feel like I am still coming to terms with what happened, I have students who are really worried and scared about their future. I want to be able to help them but we don’t know what the future holds.” she said.
Alex Garcia is an immigrant from Mexico; he stood in the crowd with a “Please Donate to homeless, now helpless Trump haters” sign in his hand. Garcia broke up with his girlfriend with whom he has a daughter: “I am not scared of going to Mexico I am from there anyway the only thing I am scared about is that I am not going to see my daughter for a while.” he said.
Krista Stone is an attorney. She stood by the pole on her own with candle in hand. Stone grew up in the South and was clearly shaken by the election results: “I thought it was important to come out and be with people. We are going to need to be together for the next four years more than we ever have before, and tonight is a good place to start. So we are here together, tonight we mourn and tomorrow we fight.” she said.
Taylor Terry is a student at University of San Francisco. She was accompanied by her friend Marissa Jasso. Like thousands of young students Terry came out on the streets to protest the election results. A group of young people gathered around the vigil to speak about the electoral process: “I think I am here to stand up for the people in a sense that Donald Trump didn’t win the popular vote but he still won the presidency. It’s ridiculous that the electoral college is even still necessary and prevalent and can change an election so drastically that man shouldn’t be president,” Terry said.
Marissa Jasso is a student at University of San Francisco. Jasso’s father works as an immigration attorney and she understands the fear and uncertainty amongst the Latino community after Trump was elected president: “I am here in support of female Latinas because my dad is an immigration attorney … people are scared and he tells me this and I am sacred for them because I can’t say a 100% … that it’s going to be okay cause it might not actually be. Even though I am not personally scared of going to Mexico thousands and thousands of people are and I want them to know that I am standing in solidarity with them.” she said.
All photos by the author.
