Thousands march in US against Trump presidency

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES -- Chanting "Not my president" and "love trumps hate," thousands of demonstrators took the streets in cities across the United States at the weekend to protest against President-elect Donald Trump, who they say threatens their civil and human rights.

Police in Portland, Oregon, where a protester was shot early on Saturday but not seriously injured, said they arrested more than 20 people late on Saturday after protesters tossed burning flares and bottles at them and refused orders to disperse.

The biggest rallies were in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, where organizers said they wanted to build on the momentum after several nights of protests triggered by the real-estate mogul's surprise win in Tuesday's presidential election.

In New York, several thousand protesters marched peacefully up Fifth Avenue past its glitzy store fronts, some already bearing Christmas decorations, before filling the streets at the foot of Trump Tower, the president-elect's skyscraper home.

"We're horrified the country has elected an incredibly unqualified, misogynist, racist on a platform that was just totally hateful," said Mary Florin-McBride, 62, a retired banker from New York who held a sign reading, "No Fascism in America."

There were also demonstrations in Chicago and Los Angeles, where several thousand protesters gathered beneath MacArthur Park's palm trees holding placards including "Dump Trump" and "Minorities Matter," before marching toward downtown.

Some waved American, Mexican or rainbow flags. Holding a "Keep Love Legal" sign, 25-year-old gay Los Angeles resident Alex Seedman called Trump a fascist and feared he would repeal marriage equality.

Evelyne Werzola, 46, an immigrant from South Africa, said she had seen what a police state could do.

"I've seen people oppressed. And this is like a heartbreak of the American dream for me," Werzola said. "So I'm fighting to keep what America has stood for alive."

In Portland, the protester who was shot had been taking part in a march across the city's Morrison Bridge. Portland police said four people had been detained in connection with the shooting, and were believed to be criminal gang associates.

Police also said some protesters attacked a film crew in the city on Saturday night and at least two people were assaulted. They began making arrests when the crowd refused to disperse.

PROTESTS LARGELY PEACEFUL

Since Trump's victory, demonstrators in several cities have decried the Republican's campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations that the former reality-TV star sexually abused women.

Dozens of protesters have been arrested and a handful of police injured.

The demonstrations since the election have been impromptu affairs, quickly organized, with weekend protests expected to swell in size.

Trump initially denounced the protests, saying they were "incited" by media, but later praised the demonstrators' "passion for our great country."

"We will all come together and be proud!" he said on Twitter.

Many voters were shocked by the outcome, after polls predicted a Clinton victory.

Some 60.3 million people voted for Trump, fewer than the 60.8 million who chose Clinton. But Trump's strong showing in swing states including Michigan meant he triumphed in the Electoral College which ultimately picks the president.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Policeman who shot dead Ferguson teenager resigns

FERGUSON - The white policeman who shot dead an unarmed black teenager in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson has resigned, but it failed to deter angry protesters demanding justice and reform.

Darren Wilson left the force citing fears for the safety of local residents and fellow police officers, according to a letter published by local media Saturday. Wilson wrote in his letter that "it is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal."

A grand jury decision on Monday not to charge Wilson in connection with the August 9 shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown touched off days of sporadic violence in Ferguson as well as demonstrations in several major cities across the United States.

The decision revived long-standing questions about how police, especially white officers, interact with African Americans -- questions raised again after last week's shooting in Cleveland of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

"It was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of other police officers and the community are of paramount importance to me," the letter from the 28-year-old Wilson said.

Dozens of demonstrators again gathered outside Ferguson police station despite his decision to quit, with protesters setting fire to a US flag and jeering at police officers.

One man, who gave his name as "Kenny," said: "I'm mad as hell. Every night we're going to be here."

There was also a brief standoff outside a bar between demonstrators and riot police before organizers moved protesters along.



- Justice march -

Earlier Saturday, a core group of about 100 marchers, many from other US states, set out on a 120-mile (192-kilometer) "Journey for Justice," heading from Ferguson -- a mainly black suburb -- to the Missouri state capital Jefferson City.

The marchers, organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), are demanding the sacking of the Ferguson police chief, nationwide police reforms and an end to racial profiling.

"We will fight until hell freezes over, and then we will fight on the ice," NAACP president Cornell William Brooks told supporters at Washington Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church before setting out.

"What we're endeavoring to do here is seek justice for a grieving family as well as systemic, fundamental reform in terms of policing for an outraged community.

"When you have a 12-year-old child who is killed with a toy gun in his hand, there is something fundamentally wrong."

Eugene Gillis, a trumpeter who plays at the nightly protests, said young protesters feel alienated and reject the older generation of activists molded by slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Most of these young people say these people are out here for photo ops and that's what aggravates the issue," Gillis told AFP.

Brooks, dressed in neat jeans and a sweater, prayed and fell to his knees in reflection at Brown's memorial while surrounded by a media scrum.

Mobbed by TV cameras, he then led the march in one direction before turning around and heading back the opposite way, marching into West Florissant Avenue, where some of the worst looting and arson took place after Monday's announcement that Wilson will not be charged.



- Washington 'die-in' -

Outside Ferguson, others rallied in Brown's memory and called for change.

Hundreds of people demonstrated in and around the US capital Washington, including some who laid on the ground for several minutes in a "die-in" at a shopping mall near the Pentagon.

The NAACP wants police to use body cameras, changes to the system of equipping police with military hardware, a promotion of diversity on the force and an end to the use of major force in cases involving minor offenses.

Adrian West, a technology trainer, waited nearly two hours for the marchers to show up late, potentially missing a memorial service for a friend killed in a fight.

But he still expressed support, hopeful that nationwide protests would yet bring change.

"I think this is enough to get the federal government's attention, strong enough to make them listen, and it's quite possible Darren Wilson could end up getting indicted by the federal government."

A federal probe into whether Wilson violated Brown's civil rights is ongoing.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US protesters force closure of mall near Ferguson

US protesters forced a crowded St Louis mall to close for around two hours on Friday, demanding a boycott to post-Thanksgiving shopping and justice for an unarmed black teenager killed by police.

Scores of demonstrators, including young children, shouted "No justice, no peace," and "Stop shopping and join the movement" at the St Louis Galleria Mall.

Around 100 people lay on the floor for four and a half minutes to symbolize the more than four hours that 18-year-old Michael Brown lay in the road after being shot dead by a white police officer in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson.

In New York, police made "several" arrests at a protest in front of Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, a spokesman said, without explaining why the demonstrators had been detained.

About 200 people gathered in support of the boycott of "Black Friday", which comes the day after America's Thanksgiving holiday and sees stores offering steep discounts, leading to often-frenzied consumer spending.

In the San Francisco Bay area, protestors severely disrupted the BART mass transit system for more than two hours by blocking off a train station in Oakland, officials said.

The protestors chained themselves together at the West Oakland station, forcing trains to be stopped into and out of San Francisco, briefly stranding crowds including many heading to malls seeking Black Friday bargains.

The protests came four days after a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict the officer who killed Brown, sparking arson and looting in Ferguson.

At the St Louis mall, shoppers and store staff looked bemused, while others filmed or photographed the protest, or else clapped and shouted their support.

When police officers told AFP they were clearing the building, the protesters had already left.

The management office confirmed that the shopping center reopened at 3:15 pm, around two hours after stores were told police were closing the building.

Although most shops reopened, others kept their doors locked and shutters down even after the mall was back in business.

It was not immediately clear how much business had been lost.

Shop staff said police had ordered the closure for public safety.

"It ain't my decision," said Luke, a shoe store manager who didn't want to give his last name.

"The police thought it was in the best interest of our customers and our product to close down," he added.

Protesters claimed success.

"It is now a movement and it is spreading across the country and around the world. Black Friday is the next step," said journalist and activist Kymone Freeman from Washington.

"Hopefully we'll see more of this. I think Black Friday protests will continue throughout the Christmas season," he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com