Anti-Trump demonstrations break out on College Avenue
‘We’re not going to stand for that, and that’s not who we want in office’
In light of Donald Trump becoming President-elect, Rutgers students protested against his victory along College Ave and George St, today starting at approximately 2 p.m.
Mason Gross students, Emily Lough, 18, and Alexandra Carcich, 18, organized the “Stand Up Against Trump” protest by making flyers, which then was received by journalism student Jacqui Silva, 22, who created the public Facebook.
By word of mouth and Facebook invites, the event cumulated over 100 students showing up near Voorhees Mall with posters and flags. Students all gathered around in a circle writing more signs, and discussed the route in which they would protest.
Emily Lough and Alexandra Carcich created this event after attending class post-election upon seeing how devastated their instructor was by Trump’s win. “We realized if we don’t do something, nothing’s going to happen. Nobody is going to have a platform for their voices. We felt that this would be a really great place for everybody to express their emotions – peacefully, of course,” Carcich said. “We wanted to do what New York did. I didn’t get to go to the city to do it, so let’s do it here.” Lough said.
With Rutgers being the most diverse, and largest university in the state, many students were upset over Trump’s victory. Students at the protest felt this was a great moment to voice how they felt.
Megan Street, 19, anthropology major said, “I’m from the midwest and out there if you do this kind of stuff, you’re pretty much putting your survival out on on the line.There is a lot more intolerance than there is here in New Jersey. Peoples’ rights are being trampled already just within 24 hours of having him elected. We’re not going to stand for that, and that’s not who we want in office.”
While marching down College Ave and George St., Jacqui Silva said she witnessed three types of people: ones who ignored, ones with negative feelings and ones who felt proud. “The protest was able to connect people who privately told me of their personal harassment stories and said the protest and meeting with faculty gave them hope,” Silva said.
Faculty made an appearance in this protest as well, such as Sherry Wolf, a senior organizer of the Rutgers American Association of University Professors – American Federation of Teachers. “We have work to do. Protests like this are brilliant. Come to the union. It is a safe space for all to organize a resistance. A united front resistance to Trump and the right; and any students or anyone on this campus who attempt to go after any of our immigrant, queer, women and students of color,” Wolf said.