Anti-Trump protest updates: Los Angeles students stage walkout

Hundreds of students began dispersing Monday afternoon following an hours-long demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump through the streets of downtown Los Angeles.

By 12:30 p.m., school buses began arriving at Los Angeles City Hall and students were gathering to return to their campuses.

Suzanne Rueda, 15, said she has been participating in protests since Wednesday. So far, Suzanne, a sophomore at Ramon Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, said her peers haven’t been reprimanded for their absence.

Administrators used the school intercom to warn students that they would suspended if they missed their classes.

“It feels like we’re leading ourselves,� she said. “We can’t vote. This is all we can do.�

As the crowd thinned, some students listened to music, others danced in a circle, others continued chanting, “We reject the president-elect.�

Evelyn Aguilar, 15, said she was protesting racism.

“A lot of us don’t agree with what Donald Trump is saying in my community,� the 15-year-old sophomore said. “A lot of people are worried about being deported and violence against them because of their sexual and ethnic identities.�

High school students continued to gather outside Los Angeles City Hall on Monday afternoon despite warnings from district administrators that there would be consequences for ditching class.

Serena Armas, a senior at Roosevelt High School, said she was protesting for reforms to the electoral college.

“School might get me in trouble, but I don’t care,� the 17-year-old student said.

PHOTOS: Students walkout in protest over President-elect Trump

Standing within the crowd of protesters was Yesenia Flores, who held up a sign saying, “Trump makes us fear for our lives.�

“All I’ve wanted to do is make my parents proud,� the 15-year-old Roosevelt sophomore said. “I can’t make my parents proud if they’re not here.�

Blanca Villaseñor, a sophomore at Collegiate Charter High School, said she’s also fighting against President-elect Donald Trump on behalf of her parents.

Her sign read: “Latinos contra Trump.�

United Teachers Los Angeles says it’s supporting students and their families following the union called “politics of fear, racism and misogyny.�

In a statement issued Monday, the union said its members think students should protest and express themselves peacefully.

The union said it was committed to “educational and racial justice — both in our classrooms and in our communities.�

PHOTOS: Students walkout in protest over President-elect Trump

“As educators, as people spending every day with students and caring about each student’s future, we believe we have a sacred role in times like these,� th union said. “There will be individuals who exploit a situation that the results of the presidential election have allowed. We condemn fear-mongering, threats, hate speech, and hate crimes from anyone.�

Oakland high school students walked out of their classrooms Monday to protest the election of Donald Trump as president.

Dozens of students held signs and chanted as they marched through downtown Oakland. Similar demonstrations were underway in Los Angeles.

Racist graffiti and behavior has been reported at schools, including in the Alameda Unified School District, Supt. Sean McPhetridge said in a statement Sunday.

“I want all of our AUSD families to know that it is unacceptable to us as a district and against what we stand for as Americans to see these hateful and exclusive behaviors,� he said.

On Monday, community members planned to stand outside schools to welcome students and remind them, “Everyone belongs here,� he said.

“We do not tolerate hate speech, bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other forms of hatred,� McPhetridge said.

In a letter to families following Tuesday’s election, McPhetridge said the district is dedicated to providing “an inclusive, safe and secure environment.�

“Regardless of the divisive rhetoric that has [often] dominated presidential campaign, I am confident our democratic values will prevail, and we must remember to keep faith in that,� he wrote.

Los Angeles Unified Supt. Michelle King urged students to remain on campus as hundreds of their peers began marching away Monday during an anti-Donald Trump demonstration.

“These are important conversations that need to take place,� she said. “We want our students to know they are not alone. However, it is critical that students not allow their sentiments to derail their education or for their actions to place them in danger.�

As students walked through East Los Angeles, King reminded students that they could talk about their concerns in school.

The district is working on launching assemblies, restorative justice programs and other speaking activities to give students a “secure forum.�

“We believe the best place to discuss concerns is in school with caring teachers and staff,� she said.

Students called for unity during an anti-Trump demonstration Monday at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.

Earlier, a group of students walked out of their classrooms and marched through East Los Angeles, holding signs and chanting.

Evelin Miranda, 16, missed English class to be at the demonstration.

“I want to tell people that we don’t want Donald Trump as our president,� Evelin said. “Because he’s racist and I have immigrant parents and I’m afraid that I might lose them.�

She saw a flier on Instagram on Thursday about the demonstration and decided she wanted to join.

After first period, the students met at the front of the school and walked out through the gym, she said.

By 9 a.m., students from Mendez High School began walking off campus.

Alex Macias, an assistant principal at the high school, walked behind students. The group supervising the protest learned about the walkout last week during restorative justice circles with students.

“We heard students’ voices,� Macias said. “We basically let them speak.�

Hundreds of Los Angeles-area students walked out of their classrooms and began marching in the streets on Monday as a protest of Donald Trump’s election to the presidency.

TV footage showed a long line of students walking through East Los Angeles and finally stopped at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.

At Roosevelt High School, school officials asked students to remain on campus.

“Ignorance ... can often lead to violence: Please understand that the greatest way to overcome ignorance is through education,� school officials said.

Police ordered a lingering group of anti-Donald Trump protesters to disperse on Friday night after an hours-long demonstration through downtown Los Angeles that ended where it started, at City Hall.

Dozens of officers, wearing ballistic helmets and holding up batons, lined up around the group, which was chanting, “Right to assemble!� Minutes later, shortly before midnight, police ordered everyone to go home.

“I’m not leaving,� said 19-year-old Kimberly Solano, noting that she was prepared to get arrested. “Whatever happens, happens.�

Most protesters left voluntarily, but a dozen or so — some holding their hands in the air while chanting, “Peaceful protest� — were pushed up Temple Street as officers moved in.

As of shortly after midnight on Sunday, police hadn’t arrested anyone there.

“It’s just a few stragglers,� said LAPD Officer Wendy Reyes, noting that most people had left. “We’re just monitoring.�

It remained unclear early Sunday morning whether a handful of people detained earlier in the night during the marches remained under arrest.

A small, boisterous crowd of anti-Donald Trump protesters marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night, stopping traffic while whistling and cheering, at times weaving through moving cars.

Drivers stuck in traffic honked their horns and gave out high-fives to demonstrators, who chanted, “Donald Trump, go away! Racist, sexist, anti-gay!� along with “Peaceful protest!�

In separate incidents, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested at least two suspected taggers, including a woman seen spray-painting, “My body, my choice� in the 3rd Street tunnel. The man, meanwhile, was escorted to a police car by two officers in ballistic helmets, his hands zip-tied behind his back.

The march began around 8:30 p.m., when roughly 100 demonstrators, mostly young people, left City Hall and marched through downtown before circling back about an hour and a half later.

Around that time, the LAPD said it was tracking two demonstrations, the one at City Hall and a larger group of about a couple hundred people at MacArthur Park.

In what has become a familiar scene since election day, about 100 marchers began making their way through downtown Los Angeles tonight.

There haven’t been any arrests yet, but the graffiti that has marked the protests seems to be continuing, including some on a news van.

After an 8,000-person march earlier Saturday, over 100 anti-Donald Trump protesters remained on the steps of City Hall after the sun set.

At one point, a crisis counselor offered her services pro-bono to anyone who wanted to talk, “whatever your political persuasion.�

The age of the protesters ranged from young teens to people in their 70s.

Thomas Munzig, 71, and his wife, Jamie Taylor, 61, said they believed they were the oldest of the protesters who remained.

“We have taken not only two steps backward, but we’ve fallen down the stairs,� Taylor said of Trump’s election.

Protesters gather on the steps of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

(Deborah Netburn / Los Angeles Times)

Hours after Saturday morning’s anti-Donald Trump march came to an end, a few hundred lingering protestors gathered on the steps of City Hall to share their thoughts on the election.

Passing a megaphone among them, some demonstrators talked about the importance of finding a direction forward, others said they wanted a female president, and still others admitted to feeling as if they had let Hillary Clinton down.

One woman, who said she was transgender, warned listeners against getting violent.

“If we get violent, we get stopped,� she said.

A man urged the group to sign a petition on Moveon.org to abolish the electoral college.

“Trump didn’t win the popular vote,� he said. “I don’t understand why we aren’t pushing that harder.�

The Los Angeles Police Department said it will continue to monitor the anti-Trump protest in downtown Los Angeles, which is scheduled to end at 7 p.m.

Norma Eisenman, a spokeswoman for the LAPD, said the department remains on alert until then.

More than 8,000 people participated in Saturday’s rally, the largest of several Los Angeles demonstrations in the days since voters elected Donald Trump to the White House.

Here is some context on the issues surrounding the anti-Trump march:

California is a likely battleground as Trump crafts his immigration policy.

Trump said during his presidential campaign that he would build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and deport people in the country illegally. He is expected to unwind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an initiative by President Obama that protects immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

But California has some of the nation’s most liberal policies when it comes to handling immigrants here illegally. The state has allowed them to get driver’s licenses, health coverage for children and in-state tuition. Institutions like churches also support immigrants.

Trump made illegal immigration a central issue of his campaign, arguing that people here without proper documentation are a drain on the economy and take jobs away from U.S. citizens.

Trump has not outlined any specific immigration policies since winning the election. But Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and a member of Trump’s immigration policy transition team, told The Times that the U.S. could easily boost deportations by more than 75% in his first year in office.

Experts have said Trump could also reduce or slow down the process by which Mexicans get travel cards and visitor visas. But other Trump immigration ideas — such as building a massive wall along the border — are probably going to be more difficult to implement, they said.

Read more here.

With an estimated 8,000 people, Saturday’s anti-Trump rally was the largest of several Los Angeles demonstrations in the days since voters elected Donald Trump, the Republican who shocked conventional political wisdom by defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton on Tuesday. Trump’s attacks on people who are in this country illegally and his comments about women, among other things, brought many of the protesters to the streets, they said.

LAPD Lt. Chris Ramirez said there had been no arrests as of 2 p.m.

“Everything’s been great so far,� he said.

About 6,000 protesters took to L.A.’s streets Saturday, marching from MacArthur Park to the federal building in downtown, LAPD Officer Aaron Jefferson said.

As of around 12:30 p.m., when protesters reached the federal building, there had not been any arrests, according to police.

Click the photo for gallery of the march.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Guarav Shenoy stood outside his car near the intersection of Figueroa and 5th streets, watching the protesters chant: “Not my president.�

Shenoy, 27, said he had been waiting for more than 30 minutes.

“I don’t mind being stuck in traffic as long as it’s for democracy,� said Shenoy, a USC alum who was headed toward the campus.

“[Trump] ran a campaign on divisiveness and hatred,� he said. “But now that he has been elected, I hope he can be more of a president and do something to unite the country.�

Nearby, Jose Marcea stood near his car watching the march. He too had been waiting in traffic for 30 minutes, he said. Behind him, rows of cars and buses were idling.

“This is OK, I’m OK with all this,� said Marcea, 44. “ I think it’s important that people express how they feel. It’s a free country, after all.�

Marcea, who lives in Van Nuys, said he was bothered by Trump’s victory.

“This is hard to take in, I mean it bothered me what he said about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants and all the offensive things he has said about everyone, including women.�

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Beatriz Devara said her 11-year-old granddaughter lives in Oregon, where classmates have been asking her when she’s “going back.�

“She’s third-generation,� said Devara, a teacher in Palmdale who was marching toward downtown on Saturday.

As protesters headed toward the 110 Freeway overpass, they carried flags of Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Some banged on drums, hit tambourines or blew whistles as others cheered and clapped. Some called on bystanders to join in the march.

Police in riot gear watched protesters make their way from MacArthur Park into downtown. California Highway Patrol officers closed off ramps to prevent demonstrators from entering the freeway.

Waving a sign that read: “Unidos Somos Fuertes� -- meaning “United We’re Strong� -- was Maggie Flores, with her 11-year-old daughter, Josephine Hernandez.

Flores said she came out to show her daughter that men should not make statements about women like those Trump has made.

“I’m here to be an example and to let her know that no man can talk to us like that -- no matter how powerful or rich he is,� said Flores, 28.

Flores said that she is not in the country legally.

“The day he was elected, my daughter was very disappointed and scared,� she said. “She thought we were going to have to be separated or leave the country.�

She said her daughter has friends who feel the same way.

“It breaks my heart that I have to try and reassure her that everything is going to be OK,� Flores said.

Edward Pulig fished at MacArthur Park on Saturday morning, mulling the results of the election. He shook his head.

“I don’t really know what this guy’s policies are about,� said Pulig, 55. “But you know what though? Give the guy a chance. You never know.�

Nearby, William Fahnbulleh, 60, also was trying to understand Donald Trump’s win.

Both men said they voted for Hillary Clinton.

The two discussed what the country would look like once Trump took office. Sometimes they spoke over each other, disagreeing about Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns.

Fahnbulleh said he came to the park to see the protest that was planned for Saturday morning. Pulig said he fishes here at least three times a week. He wasn’t planning on staying.

“No matter what anyone says -- they can protest all they want -- the man has been elected, and all we can do -- even Hillary said it -- give him a chance,� Pulig said.

“He won fair and square. There’s nothing you can say about it,� Pulig said. “Only in America.�

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Protesters headed toward downtown on Wilshire Boulevard and over the 110 Freeway, their numbers growing along the way.

Protesters held signs and chanted “hands too small, can’t build a wall.� One man brought Bernie Sanders along.

During an anti-Trump rally in downtown L.A. that stretched from Friday night into early Saturday, police arrested 187 adults and eight juveniles.

Police said protesters vandalized property, blocked roads and refused to leave when conditions became unsafe.

MacArthur Park has for decades been a popular site for protests over numerous issues, from immigration rights to the Vietnam War.

A decade ago, nearly half a million protesters started at MacArthur Park and marched to downtown Los Angeles.

Thousands of businesses were shuttered on the 2006 Day Without Immigrants as workers and their families, most from Mexico, participated in a boycott of work and commerce, rallying to demonstrate their importance to the U.S. economy and to demand changes in immigration law that would give illegal migrants a path to citizenship.

The next year, activists held a May Day protest at the park. But the event turned ugly. Forty-two people, including nine journalists, were injured at the pro-immigration march. LAPD officials said the scuffle was set off by a group of agitators who threw bottles and other objects at police. The department’s Metro Division used batons and fired rubber bullets to disperse what was a predominantly peaceful gathering.

The city later paid more than $12 million in settlements, and the LAPD embarked on a series of reforms.

Nearly 100 protesters gathered at the corner of Alvarado Street and Wilshire Boulevard Saturday morning, chanting phrases like “Donald Trump go away -- sexist, racist, anti-gay,� and “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.�

Joel Cordiero, 65, held a sign that said: “Not my president.�

“The words he said, we can’t forget,� said Cordiero, who lives in Beverly Hills. “We need to let him know he’s not going to get away with anything.�

Protesters waved rainbow flags and held signs that read: “Hate ain’t great� and “global warming is real,� among others.

A group of women chanted: “My body, my choice,� to which a group of men responded: “Your body, your choice.�

Kim White, 52, said she was angry about the way Trump talks about and treats women.

“I can’t believe he’s representing our country,� said White, who lives in Highland Park.

“People are like: ‘Give him a break, he didn’t mean it,� she said. “I’m sorry. Words matter.�

Jason Ramirez-Cabral, 24, was one of the first protesters to arrive at 8:15 a.m., straight from his job as a night worker on the docks in San Pedro.

He brought face paint in his tote bag and said he was planning to paint a peace sign that would cover his whole face.

“I was sad the night it happened,� said Ramirez-Cabral, who lives in Fontana. “Now, I’m angry.�

Some of his family members are in the country illegally, he said. “I don’t know what the future holds, “ he said.

Los Angeles police are bracing for a fifth day of protests Saturday following the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.

“The department is going to monitor it, and we have enough resources to respond to anything that may arise,� said LAPD Officer Aaron Jefferson.

The march from MacArthur Park to the federal building in downtown is expected to draw 10,000 people.

Early Saturday, about 150 demonstrators were arrested in downtown L.A.

The demonstration drew an estimated 3,000 protesters. Pumping their fists in the air, demonstrators cheered and whistled as they marched among honking cars in the streets around City Hall Friday evening, sometimes chanting, “Not my president.�

By midnight, the crowd had marched from City Hall to LA Live and toward the Westlake neighborhood before circling back downtown. As they passed apartment buildings, people stepped out of their homes to cheer.

When the crowd returned to City Hall just before midnight, the LAPD issued a dispersal order, calling the gathering a “violent congregation� and threatening to use less-than-lethal force if necessary.

A group of protesters gathered at Grand Park and refused to leave, including one dressed as a brick-wall that read, “Wall off Trump.� As police surrounded the park, several demonstrators panicked and ran, while others were blocked in.