Brooklyn protests against Trump’s election
New York, NY – On the evening of November 6, over 100 people gathered in the heart of downtown Brooklyn at Cadman Plaza to protest the election of Donald Trump. Called by NYU Students for a Democratic Society with the slogan that “No matter who wins, the people lose,” the rally began with a consistent beat of chants. They ranged from “Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Donald Trump, go away!” “Not the church! Not the state! Women will decide their fate!” and “Say it loud! Say it clear! Refugees are welcome here!”
Eb Ahmed from NYU SDS helped lead the protest, stating, “Last night it was declared that our 47th president is going to be Donald Trump. We saw an election with two pro-genocide, pro-border wall, pro-fossil fuel candidates and the more reactionary one of them won.”
Ahmed continued, “And I make no mistake when I say this: This was due to the sheer incompetence of the Democrats who refused to do an arms embargo on Israel for its genocide, who refuse to listen to the actual desires and interests of working class Americans, and instead pandered to Republicans and conservatives. Now look where we ended up, we have a white supremacist, rapist, genocidal bigoted piece of shit who’s going to run this country for the next four damn years.”
The protest continued with the Brooklyn War Memorial at their backs. Ahmed introduced the next speaker, Shivani Ishwar, the chair of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR).
Ishwar stated, ”if we want real change, we have to band together and demand that the police, the government, the system itself answer to us. Our power isn’t in the ballot box, it’s in the streets. That’s how we show up in solidarity with Palestinian liberation! That’s how we demand justice in the face of police brutality! That’s how we make our voices heard!”
Michela Martinazzi, from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, told the crowd, “The ruling class dangles our rights and the lives of millions in front of our faces, making it our responsibility to choose. They’re setting us up against each other and the entire time they’re laughing on Capitol Hill. The people in Washington DC do not care about us – they only care about our vote. So what do we do? We can mourn, wallow, and despair until the next election. Or we can organize, fight and we can win for the people. We do not have to live under these conditions. We can live for a better future!”
Once the speeches were done, the protesters marched to Wunsch Hall on the Brooklyn NYU Campus. Wunsch Hall is a historic building that used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Ahmed gave a final speech on the steps. They urged all protesters to continue organizing and that the fight against Trump has just begun.