On Friday, November 11, students at the College of Charleston staged a midday flash mob in the university’s historic Cistern Yard.
News of the anti-Trump protest circulated throughout the Internet that day, encouraging students to meet in the Cistern at 1:00 p.m. with signs explaining why they don’t support President-Elect Donald Trump.
Millennials across the country have been protesting Trump’s victory for the past week, and many of the protests have resulted in violence and crime. In contrast, the College of Charleston’s protest was peaceful. The gathering was an extraordinary example of how to gracefully and appropriately voice a political opinion.The students held their signs in silence, careful not to disturb the classes around them. The only loud or aggressive aspect of the protest occurred when a man with a mega-horn drove past the protest and screamed, “Trump for President! You’re all immigrants!”
The protesters included groups of Americans who, generally, claim to not feel represented by Trump. Female students at the College of Charleston held numerous signs declaring a disapproval for Trump due to his misogynistic comments or inappropriate remarks towards women. Members of the LBGTQ community expressed fears that their rights could change under Trump’s presidency. Additionally, protesters of color held signs denying the negative labels that Trump has associated with their ethnicity or cultures. Protests motivated by Trump’s, subjectively, racially offensive comments have been sweeping the nation, and are no doubt reflected by the only 7% of African-Americans and 18% of Latinos who voted for him in the election.
The strength and pain behind their messages were more powerful in silence. While documenting the event, I couldn’t help but be reminded of how Charleston’s community reacted to the white supremacy-influenced AME Church shooting in 2015. Charleston was praised globally for emphasizing the importance of love, equality and coming together as a community in the wake of the massacre. Unlike many aftermaths of racially motivated violence, Charleston remained generally nonviolent.
The College of Charleston's protest seemed to give students an opportunity to begin to heal. Students were seen embracing and supporting one another.
Despite the fear and injustice that called them to protest, the spirit of the gathering was positive and resilient. While many U.S. citizens have half-jokingly declared that they will be leaving America, it is clear that some have decided to stay and fight for what they believe in. Due to the peaceful execution and hopeful goals of the protest, it is a respectable fight.
