“The people united will never be divided,” protesters shouted as they marched down Central Avenue Friday evening.
The Inauguration Day protest, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation of New Mexico, began around 5:30 pm and ran in coordination with the party’s national march in Washington, D.C.
The demonstration, which attracted about 70 people, grew out of a desire “to inaugurate the resistance to Trump and his agenda,” said PSL Chair Chris Banks.
“We believe that from day one we needed to come out and make a statement that we weren’t going to be afraid. That we were going to stand up and defend our communities and continue to struggle against war and racism and poverty,” Banks said.
Holding signs reading “Stand and fight,” “Fight Trump and the whole system,” and “We need a political revolution,” protesters seemed to agree with Banks and PSL.
The PSL is a national socialist party formed in 2004, and was on the 2016 presidential ballot in 13 states, including New Mexico.
The party officially nominated Gloria La Riva as its presidential candidate.
Banks said he feels giving pushback to President Donald Trump is especially important in this state because New Mexico is home to many people who Trump has targeted with “his racist, sexist and bigoted comments.”
Communities of Native Americans, Latinos, immigrants and LGBTQ people were particularly targeted during the election, Banks said as he rallied the crowd and led the march, motivated by a spirit to protect those communities.
While most protesters carried signs, some demonstrators arrived with drums, masks and even flags for the protest.
Anthony Jackson, a junior physics major, brought a U.S. flag with a peace sign in place of the stars.
“I brought this (flag) to show that even though there are people that voted for Trump out there that we’re all one people, and that it’s important for us to be united and strong,” he said.
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Jackson also voiced concerns over the DNC’s alleged interference in Hillary Clinton’s nomination last July during the convention.
“I’m protesting the system,” said Liam Murray, a theater major, expressing worry over a Trump presidency. “I’m gay, I’m autistic, I’m the son of a teacher, I’m an environmentalist and I’m terrified about what Trump is going to do to this country.”
The protest wasn’t only targeted at Trump, however, as many voiced frustration about the elite dominating politics.
“We don’t support Trump or Clinton,”said Sylvia Grass, a member of PSL. “We feel like the Democratic and Republican parties serve the one percent. They do not support the workers. They do not support the homeless, and they’re really not going to help our country.”
Grass reiterated a post made to the PSL’s Facebook page.
“People who are serious about fighting Trump must not be led back into the same Democratic Party that facilitated his rise in the first place, was incapable of stopping him, and to this day only offers losing tactics and misleading propaganda,” the group posted online early last week.
When demonstrators flooded the streets, police blocked intersections to protect protesters and decrease the chances of violence breaking out.
As protesters marched they chanted “Dump Trump,” and “no KKK, no racist USA, no Trump,” among other things.
Around 7 p.m. demonstrators stopped at the police department building and shouted admonishments toward police violence and demanded prison reform.
“Up, up, up with the people. Down, down, down with the police,” protesters shouted as they took back to the road to continue the march.
The demonstrations fizzled around 8:30 p.m after a final rally at the intersection of Central Avenue and 1st Street.
Several other PSL-sponsored protests were staged across the country in cities including Chicago, Seattle, and Washington D.C. It’s not clear whether the violent protests that broke out in the capital on the morning of the inauguration were sponsored by PSL.
Brendon Gray is a news reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @notgraybrendon.
