After several nights of large and sometimes chaotic demonstrations in Oakland, about 100 people marched peacefully through Berkeley on Saturday night in protest of President-elect Donald Trump.
A group of about 40 people initially gathered at the intersection of Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue about 8:30 p.m. Carrying signs that read “Love will prevail we must unite” and “This is so bad,” protesters made their way through the streets of South and Downtown Berkeley as they called on others walking on the sidewalk to join the march.
“I’m coming to the realization that he’s not our president, and I’m angry about it,” said UC Berkeley freshman Estela Montiel, who marched in the protest. “I feel like this is an injustice to people of color, especially for people like me (because) I’m not a permanent resident.”
In contrast with disruptive Oakland protests Wednesday night — an empty police car was set on fire and police deployed tear gas — Saturday’s demonstration in Berkeley remained peaceful, with only two documented incidents of graffiti at Union Bank and Bank of America on Shattuck Avenue. No Berkeley Police Department officers were present as the march made its way through the city.
While some called for marchers to join a similar protest in Oakland, which saw about 100 people participating, the demonstrators ultimately stayed in Berkeley, ending back at Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue about 10:15 p.m.
Saturday’s protest comes after four days of protests in Berkeley, Oakland and across the nation after Trump’s victory. Wednesday’s protest in Oakland marked the largest such demonstration in the Bay Area, reaching about 7,000 participants, according to the Oakland Police Department.
The crowd at Saturday’s protest in Berkeley was diverse, with people of various ages and backgrounds walking and chanting together.
Rachel Jenkins-Stevens brought her 6-year-old daughter — by far the youngest person there — to join the mostly peaceful protest. Jenkins-Stevens called the results of the election “incredibly disturbing.”
“I feel like protesting is a very important way to communicate that disturbance,” Jenkins-Stevens said.
Contact Katy Abbott and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks at [email protected].