On the day following the election of Donald Trump to president of the United States, over 1,000 people took to the streets of Sacramento in a rally and march organized by the ANSWER coalition, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Occupy Sacramento and HELLA. The march was only the first of many actions taking place in California’s capital to demonstrate resistance to the reactionary plans of the coming Trump administration as well as the fascist elements emboldened by the results of the election.
At roughly 4 o’clock in the afternoon, some 300 people gathered on the steps of the Robert Matsui Courthouse in downtown Sacramento. Protesters chanted and several community members made speeches emphasizing the need to organize and struggle against not only Donald Trump and his racist, misogynist, homophobic supporters but also the unjust capitalist system that put him in place.
Following the speeches, the crowd marched and took the streets leading to the California state capitol, stopping traffic but still receiving many supportive honks from vehicles along the march route.
By the time the march reached the capitol, it had swollen to 1,000 people who had spontaneously joined along the way. More community members as well as members of the PSL spoke as the march stopped at 10th and Capitol after which the crowd marched back to the courthouse for a final rally.
Local media downplayed the event. The Sacramento Bee reported “between 200 and 300” protesters, a clear understatement given that the march stretched nearly two blocks as it returned from the capitol. Fox gave most of their news coverage to the owner of a local ice cream parlor who voted for Trump while only briefly mentioning the march that took place the same night.
Despite this distortion by local media, the march was a success. It displayed clearly that more and more people are realizing that political change does not come from going to the polls once every two or four years, but comes from struggle in the streets, as well as the organization of workers and oppressed people. This message cannot be overstated—organization is vital if we are to resist the attacks on Black and Brown people, the LGBTQ community, the labor movement, and every other progressive force and accomplishment in the country that are being planned by the right wing both in and out of the Trump administration.
People return to the streets on Sunday, blocking the freeway
On Sunday, following a week of hateful attacks across the country inspired by the election of Donald Trump, the people of Sacramento returned to the streets to declare their opposition to the president-elect. The group met at McClatchy Park, in the historic community of Oak Park that was once home to the Sacramento chapter of the Black Panther Party.
A diverse crowd of people from across the political spectrum stood in unity against Trump as the event opened with the playing of L.A. rapper Y.G.’s song titled “F— Donald Trump.” This was followed by community members voicing their concern with the shift to the right that Tuesday’s election represented. Veterans, college students, trans and agender youth, mothers, immigrants, and others grabbed the mic and voiced their opposition to a Trump presidency that promises to be full of hate and intolerance.
Taking the street, the march proceeded up Broadway to Alhambra chanting “Trump says get back, we say fight back!” and “No Trump, no KKK, no Fascist USA!” Along the way, cars honked their support and people came out of their houses and businesses to film the historic march. At P Street, the vast majority of the march, which by this time had grown to at least 900 people, continued up onto the Eastbound I-80 while others stayed on the on-ramp. Police scrambled to block the surrounding streets as the march remained on the freeway for around 15 minutes. Despite the blocking of traffic, many in their cars appeared sympathetic, getting out to give gestures of approval and taking pictures. Eventually, the police cleared the on-ramp and proceeded to harass the protesters on the freeway. After a short standoff, the march came back down to chants of “Whose streets? Out streets!” and continued on.
The march had as its destination the historic site of Sutter’s Fort. This was chosen to remind people that the same system that chose Donald Trump also carried out a genocide against the Indigenous peoples of America. Those present voiced their solidarity with the militant resistance of the water protectors of Standing Rock in North Dakota.
A smaller yet very vocal crowd then marched back to McClatchy Park, continuing with their chants of “Stand up, fight back!” and “Resistance is justified!” New chants comparing Trump to a Cheeto were also embraced with enthusiasm by the demonstrators.
The people united will never be defeated! El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!
With people around the country flooding the streets to oppose Donald Trump, it is in this moment that we must raise the call for revolutionary transformation based on the principles of socialism. The Democrats and Republicans have declared their willingness to work together in the wake of Trump’s election. The diverse sectors of the working class must respond with our own willingness to unite against capitalism.
This will only be possible if we continue to be in solidarity with those on the front lines of struggles seeking to end war and imperialism, police terrorism, attacks on immigrants, deportations, targeting of the LGBTQ community, mass incarceration, and the struggle for a sustainable environment. This is the people’s movement that will be able to fight off the attacks that the new Republican administration promises.
Both of these marches show that Sacramento is willing to join the rest of the nation in standing up against the spread of white supremacy encouraged by Donald Trump.
