Liberation Photos: Vanessa Bowen
On the evening of November 9, nearly five hundred members of the Albuquerque community joined other cities in protests against president-elect Donald Trump. The protest was covered by local news outlets as well as Spanish language outlet Univision.
Following the speak-out at 1st and Central in downtown Albuquerque, the protesters then got into formation and marched throughout the streets of downtown Albuquerque, demonstrating their outrage at the election of Trump. As they marched, patrons from local establishments cheered them on, and some even spontaneously joined the march.
Emotions were strong. Protesters, many of them new to activism, said they were angry, sad, and especially fearful of the future to come. Their emotions aren’t without reason. The fear of Trump’s presidency encompasses the dread of the now emboldened white nationalists moving forward with their fascist agendas.
Only moments after Trump’s announced victory, hate crimes and racist vandalism skyrocketed all over the country. Even at the University of New Mexico, the state’s flagship institution praised for its diverse alumni, saw Nazi symbols and support for fascism sprayed all over the walls.
For this reason, progressives and leftists have taken to the streets all over the country and demonstrated their opposition to fascism, racism, sexism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and anti-LGBTQ bigotry. These protests are not simply demonstrating opposition to Trump himself, but to everything he and his campaign stand for.
All around the United States, communities are gathering to protect one another and send a loud and clear message to fascist tendencies: We are united and will not sit by while fascism takes root in the country. We will fight back, fiercely and militantly.
Of course, Trump’s victory does not mean that the United States is now a fascist country, although it certainly has encouraged its emergence and growth. His campaign was built on bigoted rhetoric and empty promises to change the status quo, of which Clinton was the total embodiment, garnering contempt from voters everywhere.
During this time, it is essential that we unite and organize large numbers to combat the fascist tendencies that have been emboldened by his campaign and now presidency. It is easy to become disheartened, but the only way to combat fascism and the extreme right is for a unified, militant left to smash it. As Rebecca Hampton, one of the protest’s speakers stated, “We are all workers.” We have a clear class enemy, and it is our duty to protect and stand in solidarity with other workers.
