How did the anti-Trump protest movement erupt?

Most of those participating in protests across the US against President-elect Donald Trump feel anxious about an uncertain future.

Protesters participate in a demonstration in Portland, Oregon, on the night of November 10. Photo: Reuters

A call for protests against Donald Trump emerged in Portland, Oregon, on November 10th, drawing thousands of people to the streets, according to the Washington Post.

"Now or never," the Portland's Resistance group wrote on Facebook. "We need to fight against Trump's agenda!"

This was one of the sparks that helped ignite the wave of protests against President-elect Trump that spread across the United States.

These protests, most of which were peaceful and orderly, clearly reflect the confusion, anger, and fear of a segment of the American population over the unexpected results of the presidential election, experts say.

On the evening of November 11th, people began marching in Miami and Washington. Some groups also planned protests throughout the weekend, scattered across several American cities.

According to police, the protest in Portland on the night of November 10th turned violent after a group of people smashed car windows and became agitated.

Anxiety

Protesters in Chicago on November 10. Photo: AP

In Portland and cities like Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, protesters cited a range of reasons for taking to the streets. Some said they wanted to express their dissatisfaction with billionaire Trump and his policies. Others expressed a desire to be led by a like-minded leader.

"This is how people stand together and feel they can protect each other against any policies the president-elect plans to implement that put pressure on women, Muslims, immigrants, people of color, basically marginalized groups," Janette Chien said while participating in a march in Philadelphia.

Activists for the environment, human rights, immigration, labor laws, LGBT rights, and other issues argue that taking to the streets to protest is only the first step in expressing their opposition.

"Protests will certainly grow larger in the future as social movement groups begin to join in opposing the new administration's policies that threaten those who are discriminated against by Mr. Trump," commented Professor TV Reed from the University of Washington.

"Blocking roads or any other tactic whatsoever, this is a way for protesters to say that the new administration's policies will face strong and massive opposition if it attempts to institutionalize proposals that they consider obstinate, racist, xenophobic, and hateful, which were rampant during Trump's campaign," Professor Reed emphasized.

According to the Washington Post, some people joined the protests because they were inspired by information on social media or word of mouth. Others chose to join protest groups in New York or Los Angeles because they had witnessed or seen marches online and wanted to be a part of it.

However, there were also well-organized protests. MoveOn, a liberal group, called on people to gather on November 9th to protest the president-elect. Ben Wikler, president of MoveOn in Washington, said that members of the group had organized events in 275 cities and communities across the country. He noted, however, that some events were simply candlelight vigils or group discussions, not full-fledged protest marches.

"Just knowing that you're not alone in this place is a great comfort," Wikler said on November 10.

In Portland, the first two nights of protests were relatively peaceful. But on the third night, things spiraled out of control and turned violent. On the night of November 10th, police announced that the protests "are now considered violent."

Authorities said "anarchist groups" had appeared in the protest crowds, inciting peaceful protesters to vandalize property with baseball bats and spray-paint buildings, forcing police to use tear gas and smoke grenades.

According to Gregory McKelvey, an organizer of Black Lives Matter events in Portland, his group is not affiliated with the violent protesters.

Teressa Raiford, a community organizer in Portland, asserted that the violent protesters "didn't come to show solidarity; they came because they knew the crowd would be huge."

"I am saddened that our public spaces and local businesses have been vandalized by rioters," Portland Mayor Charlie Hales said, adding that anarchists have incited peaceful protesters by spreading violence and fear.

"What they want is to exploit legitimate protesters to destroy property and infrastructure and emphasize anarchy," said David Gomez, a former counterterrorism officer with the FBI.

In the city of Santa Ana, stateCalifornia,Naui Huitzilopochtli said he was "motivated" after the election. The Mexican-American rights activist felt he couldn't live peacefully if the New York tycoon became president, as billionaire Trump had vowed to deport millions of people from the United States if elected. Therefore, Huitzilopochtli posted on Facebook, calling on people to protest.

Initially, only a few dozen people participated in the event, which took place on the afternoon of November 10th. As time went on, more and more people showed up. Approximately 650 protesters eventually clashed with police, resulting in 10 arrests.

"Our population is growing. We are a huge, sleeping community. We just need to wake up, and then Donald Trump won't be able to do anything," Huitzilopochtli asserted. "This is the Mexican community," he added.

A 15-year-old girl participating in the protest shared that she felt scared because Trump wanted to deport immigrants. Right next to her, her younger sister held a sign that read: "Stop granting privileges to white people."

"This could be the start of a revolution," said 19-year-old Jonathan Hahn while participating in a protest in Chicago on the evening of November 10. "Nobody knows what the future holds. But we need to come together to spread love, sharing, equality, and harmony—things that annoy Mr. Trump."

According to VNE