More than 100 Hopkins students gathered outside the Milton S. Eisenhower Library this evening to protest Donald J. Trump’s victory in Tuesday’s presidential election. They later joined a city-wide protest of over 1,500 demonstrators who marched down to the Inner Harbor.
The demonstration titled “Hopkins Against Hate” was organized by 20 student groups, including Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the Black Student Union (BSU) and Hopkins Feminists. Since Trump’s victory, thousands of Americans have taken to the streets, expressing their opposition to a Trump presidency.
Matthew Brown, the alumni relations chair of the BSU, stressed that tonight is just the beginning of a larger activist movement.
“This is a draining process, and it’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. We are going to be in this for four years, and we need to make sure that every step of the way we are healthy and ready to go and ready to fight for what we believe,” Brown said. “We can only do this together, as a united group against Donald Trump and his hatred.”
Joining the original group of protesters, approximately 200 more students and other members of the community held signs and chanted slogans while they marched down North Charles St., chanting anti-Trump slogans like “No Trump, No KKK / No more racist U.S.A.” and “No to hate, No to fear / Immigrants are welcome here.”
Other students held signs which had phrases like “Love Will Trump Hate,” “Say no to Fascism, Dump Trump” and “P*ssy grabs back.”
As the protesters walked towards the Inner Harbor, cars honked in support, and bystanders clapped and cheered in response. Hopkins security blocked off side streets and followed the protesters until Penn Station.
Once at the Y Not Lot in Station North, the Hopkins student march combined with a city-wide protest of at least 1,500 people. Some of the groups involved were the Peoples Power Assembly, the Workers World Party and Black Lives Matter activists.
“We all have huge differences, but we are here tonight because we are angry,” one organizer said.
Another speaker emphasized how important it is to reject Trump’s divisive strategies.
“We are all unique and united. Why do you think we’re called the United States?” the organizer asked.
People held signs and chanted as the protest stopped downtown rush-hour traffic. One Maryland Transport Authority bus driver honked her horn in support as protesters cheered.
“The people, united, will never be divided!” marchers chanted.
The protest continued past Penn Station to Mount Vernon and on toward the Inner Harbor where the demonstrators gathered for an open mic. One young Baltimorean from an Egyptian immigrant family shared his fears about a Trump presidency.
“My sister should not have to ask me to go to the mall with her because she is too scared to wear a hijab,” he said.
Rollin Hu and Sarah Y. Kim contributed reporting.
This story is developing and will continue to be updated.
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