NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A large group took to the streets of downtown New Haven Friday night for another anti-Trump demonstration. They held the rally and march to show their support for people who have been oppressed and marginalized. It was a peaceful demonstration; those who were a part of it wanted to speak out against hate.
William Alvarado helped organize the demonstration, though he didn’t vote in the election. That’s because he’s only in high school. He and his classmates at Achievement First Amistad High School are too young to vote, but not to make their voices heard.
“It was really important for us to voice our opinion because sometimes adults don’t actually look at us for our opinions,” said Alvarado.
The students held flags to represent diversity. They say they too had a lot at stake in last week’s election.
“This just shows that we can actually step up and speak for ourselves,” said Nia Anderson, an Achievement First Amistad High School student who helped organize the demonstration.
Meanwhile, IV Staklo is an immigrant and a transgendered person from New Haven who wants to speak out beyond Friday’s rally.
“January 20, as people know, is the inauguration,” said Staklo. “There are a lot of people coming to protest Trump during the inauguration.”
Staklo is involved with the group ANSWER Coalition. Staklo and the group have been pushing for change well before Trump won the election.
“We do a lot of political education work,” said Staklo. “We do public classes on issues like war, issues like racism.”
The speakers and people holding signs say they want social justice. They wanted to take a stand against issues like racism and to speak up for human rights. Frank O’Gorman was among them. He is with the group People of Faith CT, and he started working for equality before Trump’s election. He came from West Hartford to be a part of the rally.
“It is to express a challenge to the agenda that Donald Trump is trying to impose on this country,” said O’Gorman.
New Haven police escorted the marchers through downtown and the Green, stopping traffic at times and working to keep everyone safe.
