Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election Tuesday (Nov. 8) evening has triggered responses from both the UC Riverside and local Riverside community altogether.

Following Trump’s acceptance speech late Tuesday evening, a crowd of nearly 300 students gathered at UCR’s Bell Tower at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9 to protest his presidency. The gathering, which was organized by a group of students hours before, was an effort for students to express solidarity with peers equally distressed by Trump’s victory.

“He is not my president,” one student shouted as he stood on a platform in the middle of the crowd.

That phrase is the driver behind a new UCR-based anti-Trump protest group titled He Is Not My President (HINMP) founded and organized by first-year student Ryan Borunda.

“Our organization and all subsequent demonstrations have been established to promote solidarity among students whose lives have become uncertain as a result of the Republican nominee’s ascension to the presidency,” Borunda told the Highlander. “We are collectivizing together across the many student organizations and services to bring UCR back to its roots of demonstration and action to bring about change and bring the student community together as one.”

Toward the end of Wednesday’s gathering, ASUCR CHASS Senator Semi Cole, who assisted the protest’s organizers, shared that a larger anti-Trump protest was being organized to take place on campus Thursday, Nov. 10. However, that date has since been designated for an 8 p.m. meeting at the Bell Tower organized by HINMP in an effort to better organize before any further actions taken.

“(Students) need to be educated … it’s not about us anymore,” Cole told the crowd.

The next step for HINMP is a 5 p.m. protest on Friday, Nov. 18 at the Bell Tower. The time and date are both subject to change based on attendance, per the event’s Facebook page.

We are collectivizing together across the many student organizations and services to bring UCR back to its roots of demonstration.” -Ryan Borunda

In addition, details emerged late Wednesday morning of a protest to be held at 7 p.m. this evening outside of Riverside’s City Hall. The event, titled “Take to the streets against America’s fascism,” is in alignment with the goals of HINMP, as according to those behind it.

“It’s open to all. No leaders, no groups,” an organizer of tonight’s protest told the Highlander. “(We) just wanted to give a space for people to feel safe and not alone and also express their rebellion to the current regime change.”

This story is developing. Please send any relevant footage and information to editorinchief@highlandernews.org.

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