Trump came to Iowa campus and walked straight into a protest
We interviewed the head of the Trump protest and asked Iowa students what they really thought of his visit
Sunday, January 24th, 2016: Students wake up and have themselves a typical Sunday, involving lots of water and trivial regrets. They prepare themselves for the presumed uneventful week ahead. Nobody warned them.
Monday, January 25th, 2016: No student likes Mondays but this one is somehow worse than the others. He’s coming. They can feel it.
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016: Nothing short of doomsday here on the Iowa campus. The sun isn’t shining as bright, the air feels heavy, the birds aren’t chirping. He has arrived.
Donald Trump, GOP frontrunner, is possibly the most controversial person on the planet right now. While it seems most people have decided that Trump is potentially the worst candidate we’ve ever seen, he clearly still has millions of supporters keeping him in the frontrunner position.
In the days before the event, an Anti-Trump protest group gained traction on Facebook with plans to gather around the field house, where the event was held, at the same time the doors officially opened (5:30 p.m. CT).
Responsible for this protest was the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL), led by intern Alexandria Yakes. NARAL has endorsed Hillary Clinton, a competitor of Trump for the presidential position.
She said: “We are not going to stand here and listen to his sexist and racist bigotry. That is not something we want as a president or as a political figure in general.”
Yakes made it instantly clear this protest had all intentions of maintaining peace while opposing the ideals of Trump. One aspect this group showed emphasis on is Trump’s view regarding abortion and birth control, specifically involving Planned Parenthood.
She said: “Obviously he wants Planned Parenthood to be shut down.
“That’s one of the things we are trying to target here. It’s not just an abortion clinic. People go there for healthcare, it is their first line of defense in rural areas for impoverished communities.”
Adding on to the stance, Yakes explained that she feels as though women are not treated in a proper manner when it comes to Trump.
Yakes said: “His response to everything is ‘Oh I love women and I cherish women. We don’t want to be cherished. We want to be respected.
“That’s really where we want to draw the line. If you love women so much, listen to what we want. Respect us. Let us have a choice in our own healthcare. Don’t silence us. Let us control our own bodies and healthcare choices.”
We took to the streets of Iowa City to ask Iowa students what they really thought of Trump visiting campus.
Side note – we had to ask over 20 students before we found anyone who was in support.
Alexandria,18, Political Science
“I’m surprised he is coming to Iowa City, he has no support here. I will definitely be attending the protest to help make it clear to him that we as students will not be tolerating his bigotry.”
Lexi, 18, Open
“I think he’s a gigantic idiot with no place on our campus.”
Andi, 18, Journalism
“While he’s a terrible candidate, I think we should appreciate the publicity he is bringing to our school.”
Connor, 18, Actuarial Science
“Honestly, it’s kinda just like fuck Trump. All he does is bring so much tension to everything, a candidate should be bringing people together.”
Emma, 19, Nursing
“I’m a Republican myself so I don’t mind him being here, it’s just a part of his campaign.”
When we asked students at the protest why they were taking part, the responses largely concerned his “hateful rhetoric” and sexist views.
One worried student said: “Everyone’s missiles will point at the United States if he becomes president”.