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An enormous gathering of more than 8,000 people expressing their disapproval of President-Elect Donald Trump have taken to the streets of downtown Los Angeles. The thousands of people began gathering this morning in MacArthur Park at around 10:00 a.m. Soon after, the march began walking east towards downtown Los Angeles on Wilshire Boulevard. By 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, the protest has begun circling through downtown Los Angeles' streets.
Wick reports that the gathering is a largely peaceful assembly of Angelenos from different backgrounds, many of whom have brought their kids along for a taste of their first amendment right to peaceful assembly.
The march was organized the group Union del Barrio, a political organizing group that aims to increase political literacy in America's growing Latinix community. Several groups—International Action Center, different MEChA groups from various campuses (including UCLA), union group SEIU Local 721, SWANA-LA, and Black Matters (not to be confused with Black Lives Matters) and others—also announced that they are working with Union del Barrio to organize Saturday's march.
"One of the objectives is to organize," said Ron Gochez, an organizer with Union del Barrios, to LAist. "We're saying that, if you're really concerned, you have to be a participant in some active way. If you show up and don't belong to an organization, hopefully you'll join something [at the event]."
The mood at the Saturday protest was broadly one of disgust with the election of Donald Trump, mixed with anxiety about what a Trump administration could mean.
"I'm a victim of sexual assault. My sister was a victim assault. My father is gay. My mother is a cancer patient, she relies on Obamacare for her life. I'm here representing my entire family. We're fighting against anybody who gives blessing to this being okay," explained Brittany Fontaine, a 29-year-old special effects makeup artist.
"I'm scared because some of my family is living here from Mexico, and I don't want them to have to go back," said a 10-year-old girl named Madyson.
Here are some photos from today's march:
(Julia Wick/LAist)
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Additional reporting by Julia Wick.
