Thousands sign up to anti-Trump march in New York City to ‘build a wall around his bigotry’
Thousands of people have indicated that they will attend a protest against Trump’s Presidency later today.
Less than 24 hours after it was called that Trump had defeated Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President of the United States, a large demonstration is set to take place against his election.
Organised by the New York chapter of Socialist Alternative, the event sets off on Wednesday 9 November at Union Square at 6pm EST. The march will then descend on Trump Tower.
A Facebook page for the march, organised by Daniel Kroop, reads: “Build a WALL around Trump’s bigoted agenda!
… Build a movement to fight racism, sexism, and Islamophobia!”
Speaking to PinkNews, organiser Kroop said: “Socialist Alternative is organising tonight’s protest to unite and fight against Donald Trump’s bigoted agenda. LGBTQ people should be on the front lines of this battle because we have so much at stake.
“Everyone needs to stand together to defend each other. Trump and his right-wing sidekick Mike Pence are stained with sexism, racism, Islamophobia, homophobia and ableism. LGBTQ people need to help build a united mass movement to stop Trump’s agenda.”
Twelve thousand people have registered an interest on Facebook, and another seven thousand have confirmed that they will attend the rally.
President Obama earlier today said that he is “rooting for” Donald Trump to be a successful US President.
Mr Obama made a speech following Hillary Clinton’s concession speech in which she called for Trump to be given a chance to lead.
The US Presidential election was last night called for Trump, who won a shock victory over rival Clinton.
Secretary Clinton had held a narrow lead in polls ahead of the vote, but Mr Trump built up a lead in the electoral college system by taking swing states of Florida and North Carolina.
Trump had pledged to sign the ‘First Amendment Defence Act’ to permit religious homophobic discrimination, promised to “consider” appointing ultra-conservative Supreme Court justices to repeal equal marriage, and come out in favour of North Carolina’s anti-trans law – while running mate Mike Pence confirmed a plan to dismantle Barack Obama’s protections for LGBT people.
The Republican Platform passed earlier this year contained some of the most anti-LGBT provisions in decades, opposing a ban on ‘gay cure’ therapy and attacking same-sex adoption and parenting.
A hardline evangelical, the Governor of Indiana stirred up international outrage last year when he signed Indiana’s controversial ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’, which gave businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.
Governor Pence previously suggested that HIV prevention funding be drained in order to fund state-sponsored ‘gay cure’ therapy, and earlier this year appeared unable to answer when asked whether it should be legal to fire people because of their sexuality.
An investigation last month found that Pence approved extreme anti-LGBT articles when he was the head of the Indiana Policy Review journal in the 1990s.
