High school students in several states, including California, Colorado and Oregon, walked out of class chanting and carrying signs as protests against the presidential election of Donald Trump entered their sixth day Monday.
The students declared concerns about comments the president-elect has made about minorities and the effect he will have on their communities, the Washington Post reports.
In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump said he believes that some protesters are afraid for the country’s future “because they don’t know me.”
A demonstration of more than a thousand students in East Los Angeles began at Garfield High, the school that was the subject of the 1988 film Stand and Deliver. More than a thousand students from different schools joined together and headed to Mariachi Plaza, chanting, “Say it loud. Say it clear. Immigration, welcome here.”
According to the Post, some carried signs that read, “Deport Trump,” while others waved the U.S., Mexican and gay pride flags.
Students in Oakland, Calif., skipped classes to demonstrate and to ask the city of San Francisco to remain a sanctuary for people in the country without documentation. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee vowed Monday to maintain that status.
In Portland, Ore., a few hundred students from several schools marched in the rain to City Hall holding signs reading, “Students for change” and “Love trumps hate,” while thousands of Seattle students marched in opposition of Trump’s divisive comments and in solidarity with those he has targeted, including Muslims and immigrants.
About 200 middle and high school students in Denver marched to the state Capitol escorted by police and school officials. They chanted “Si, se puede” and “The people united will never be divided.”
Noelle Quintero, 17, said that the group represented Latinos, Muslims, women and other groups marginalized by Trump.
“We’re not going anywhere—we’re going to continue to stand strong,” she said. “Even though we’re only 16- and 17-year-olds and we can’t vote, our voice matters. What we believe matters, and we’re not going to stop.”
Read more at the Washington Post.