Over a thousand people march from UCSC to downtown Santa Cruz
Protesters transformed their anger into empowerment
On Wednesday night starting around 5PM, student protesters from UCSC marched around campus and then into downtown – about four miles away – chanting and holding up signs as a means of peaceful protest.
“There has never, in human history, been a better time than right now to be part of a culture that can demand more from humanity,” one of the first speakers said.
Students gathered on campus and made their way around each college, calling for more people to come out and join them. Over a thousand students from UCSC and Cabrillo, as well as other protesters, came out last night and marched downtown.Messages from students who spoke on the microphone attached to the “peace truck,” owned by a Santa Cruz local who plans to drive to North Dakota to protest the pipeline and later to the White House, ranged from personal stories to acknowledgment of community to calls to action for students to make sure to channel their feelings productively and make change.
The rage that seemed to fill the air on election night and in the early part of the protests was quickly channeled into a feeling of community as student leaders urged their fellow protesters not to make enemies of the cops and to always leave room for love. In that vein, one speaker quoted Assata Shakur.
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and protect each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
Chants varied from pro-immigration, pro-abortion rights, pro-queer and anti-Trump messages, from “Not my president” to “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here” and “My body, my choice.”
Students from different communities of color and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as many allies, spoke up against what they felt was wrong with Trump, Pence and the changes they wanted to make to this country.
“I’m never going back in the closet. Not for any reason. Not for a stupid fucking president,” one protester draped in a trans pride flag said.
Police officers escorted the students for part of the march, ensuring that they stayed on one side of the road as to not block traffic both ways. Once the protesters made it downtown, they gathered on Pacific Avenue between Cooper and Church streets and listened to student activists speak up against Trump’s presidency.
The protest ended with a final speaker after which the crowd largely dispersed.
Despite it being a difficult day country-wide, everyone who participated in the protest had the opportunity to feel empowered: the solidarity generated among the community acted as a reminder that we’re in this together, and no one would go unsupported in the coming months.