Boulder High School students marched through the CU Boulder campus in protest of Donald Trump the day after his election to be president.
“We are here to protest hate … all of us have ditched our classes today,” said Boulder High School student Lily Chavik, who joined the protest in its beginnings on her campus. Making their way through the Pearl Street Mall, they eventually marched on to CU’s campus. Chavik and the other students shouted anti-Trump slogans along the way.
The protest began around 10 a.m. and eventually made its way through CU’s campus, where the high-schoolers were met by friendly, Snapchatting supporters as well as admonishing CU students who wanted them to leave. Students at Fairview High School staged a separate walk-out in protest as well, the Daily Camera reported.
Outside of CU’s Visual Arts Center, Emilio Estrada, a CU freshman from Mexico watched the protest pass by, as students chanted, “Love trumps hate.”
Estrada shared concerns about his legal status after Trump called Mexicans rapists and ran an anti-immigration platform during his campaign.
“[The students] are fighting for something I think is right,” Estrada said. He added that he supports them as long as they do not get unruly.
Ending their march through Boulder in the University Memorial Center fountain area, leaders spoke about their feelings toward the president-elect and congratulated themselves on their organization and passion.
“I do not want to live in a country where Trump is our president,” one student shouted from the middle of the fountain. Students then took turns standing in the fountain to continue sharing their concerns.
CU student and Trump supporter Ben Hoban looked on with a “big government sucks” button prominently displayed on his backpack.
“I expected it,” he said, noting the nature of the contentious election and the history of anti-Trump protests in Boulder. While he disagreed with the protestors’ message, he acknowledged their right to free speech.
During her presentation in CU’s Nov. 8-9 Diversity and Inclusion Summit, Alaina Beaver heard the protestors and quickly finished in order to join them. She stood in the middle of the fountain and encouraged the high-schoolers to use their energy to organize and continue their protests.
“I am not surprised that this was organized by high school students — I am inspired,” she said. Beaver added that she was disappointed in the lack of participation from university students and older protestors. Beaver, who is a CU alum and long-time activist for voter rights, works as a consultant on universal instructional design with CU. She said her opinion is her own, not that of the university.
Students continued to rally until support and sunlight dwindled. Until the end, calls for further action and disappointment with the outcome of the election rebounded throughout the UMC area.
Contact CU Independent News Staff Writer Jackson Barnett jackson.barnett@colorado.edu.
