Anti-Trump protests in Miami, Fort-Lauderdale
Garth A. Rose
Hundreds of protestors from South Florida took to the streets over the past weekend, and have pledged to continue, protesting Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency.
On Friday evening a diverse crowd, originally estimated at 500, gathered outside the Bayfront Park Amphitheater bearing placards and shouting slogans like “Not my president,” and “Love Trump hate.” When the gathering began marching along Biscayne Ave towards I-95 the crowd steadily grew to well over a thousand protestors. The marchers were extremely vociferous, but generally peaceful, closely monitored by city police. However, on different occasions the marchers encroached on main thoroughfares like the MacArthur Causeway that connects with Miami Beach and I-95 blocking traffic up to an hour. Although some motorists expressed annoyance at the traffic delay, most cooperated some even leaving their vehicles to show solidarity with the protestors, and honking their horns in unison with the chants.
A similar diverse group of some 600 protestors gathered and marched from the Huizenga Plaza in Fort Lauderdale down Las Olas Boulevard and return, on Sunday. As they did in the Miami event, protestors blocked traffic along the boulevard but received no interference from the police that closely monitored the protestors.
Characteristic in the Fort Lauderdale protest was the chant, and some placards, stating “Clinton Wins Popular Vote. Elect Her” and “We want the popular vote.”
Martin Haughton, 24, of Caribbean-American Heritage, who participated in the Miami rally with four other friends, said was protesting, “Not only because Trump is unfit to be president, but particularly because, technically, Hillary Clinton won the election by winning the popular vote nationally. We need to abolish the electoral college system and select our presidents based solely on the national popular vote.”
Tiffaney Lindsay, one of Haughton’s friends said, “We are protesting against Trump being our president because the majority of people voted for Hillary. In most other countries, it’s the national popular vote that elects presidents.”
The majority of the protestors in both cities were young people, under age 30, but also consisted of older folks, some noticeable in wheel chairs, and people of all races and as much men as women.
Bradford Atlee, 27, who said he is a member of an organization called “Americans United for Change,” and Allyson Moore,31, of “Black Lives matter” both indicated the protests will continue. “Trumps election is a mess. Unfortunately, it seems enough Millennials didn’t vote nationally, but Millennials will protest vigorously during Trump’s administration if his policies are counter to the interest of America’s minority classes,” Atlee said.
