Editor-in-Chief

A small group of CSU Bakersfield students gathered outside the campus the Student Union in a protest of President-Elect Donald Trump.

Ten protesters stood with signs and chanted ‘not my president’ and ‘love always wins’ as CSUB student spectators stopped and watched.

CSUB student Randy Villegas, 22, protested to call attention to the message that Trump has conveyed throughout his campaign.

“We are here in protest of Donald Trump to call attention to all his racist, xenophobic, misogynistic comments that he said throughout the year on the path to his presidency,” said Villegas. “We are not here protesting the election result, we are here peacefully just to bring attention and to hopefully convince Trump and his supporter that he need to get rid of those policies that say he is going to get rid of Muslims coming into the United States, get rid of his policy that he wants to tear apart 11 million undocumented Americans from their families.”

The protesters encountered a man in the crowd who challenged their message.

“They shouldn’t be out here today,” said 79-year-old Oildale resident known as Happy.

The protesters answered all of Happy’s questions and thanked him for starting a dialogue.

CSUB student Miel Rivera, 27, said that she was there to spread the word that they are not happy with Trump.

“I just hope…that he realizes that all of the hateful things he said toward so many people are not OK and that he will change his mind and try to bring America together.”

Rivera said that keeping the protest peaceful is key and that violent protests send the wrong message.

“When I see violent protests it makes me really angry because I feel… when people are violent, it gives Trump…reason to believe that all those people that he marginalized are violent.”

The protesters said they would continue to spread their message and be back to protest again on Nov. 16.

Photos by Julie Mana-Ay