Students and faculty congregated at Firestone Plaza on Nov. 8 to join a walkout expressing their disappointment in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election to presidential office a few days prior. Approximately 50 people were in attendance, and the protests took place at noon.
The protest was organized by Mira Eashwaran ’26 alongside Anna Buretta ’27, who serves as co-lead of action at Sunrise Princeton. It featured speakers from Sunrise and other on-campus organizations such as Pride Alliance, College Democrats, and Alliance of Jewish Progressives. The protest also featured a speaker from the off-campus group Resistencia en Acción, a grassroots migrant justice organization.
Eashwaran is a staff Features writer for the ‘Prince’.
“For this particular event, we have not experienced any backlash,” said Buretta. “We wanted to make this [protest] as safe of a protest as possible by applying all the rules.” There were no signs of counter-protest.
Throughout the rally, speakers criticized Trump’s reelection, condemning his stance and policies on climate change, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights.
“Donald Trump’s victory is a tragedy for immigrants, for reproductive rights, for queer and trans people, for the economy, [and] for all Americans,” said Charlie Yale ’28. “We stand in the face of four years that could be disastrous for the climate.”
Yale is a first-year contributing Opinion writer for the ‘Prince.’
“I’m here in front of you as a trans person, concerned for our collective futures,” said Aster Haviland ’26. “I’m concerned for the next generation of queer Americans who will come of age with a government that does not acknowledge their personhood.”
Notably, Professor of History Vera Candiani was one of the demonstrators who spoke at the walkout.
“We need to prepare for when the Proud Boys and their friends start attacking the union movement, the immigrant communities, the Black community,” said Candiani.
Aside from Trump’s re-election, Candiani also criticized the Democratic Party throughout her speech.
“The Democratic Party has not stood with the working class. It has not stood with the immigrant rights movement. It has not mandated abortion rights into federal law,” she said. “It has not been in favor of trans youth in a consistent way, and has definitely been the party that supports genocide in Palestine.”
Candiani made similar statements during a Nov. 6 rally organized by Resistencia en Acción, during which she condemned the Republican Party and Trump and called the Democratic Party “genocidal and imperialist.”
Candiani also shared her thoughts on the importance of continuing to protest. “We have a lot of work ahead of us to build a movement that is capable of resisting the right-wing attacks that are going to come our way,” she said. “It’s imperative that we mobilize, that we don’t sit on our backs, and that we start to organize right now, immediately.”
The speeches were interpolated with chants from other demonstrators present, including “abortion is healthcare and healthcare is a right” and “no justice, no peace.”
The speakers concluded their speeches with calls for mobilization, urging those present to continue their activism and advocacy in support of marginalized communities and strengthen solidarity across movements.
“We must continue to tell the stories of the women who have lost their lives to make it clear that abortion bans kill. The country may have failed us, but we won’t fail each other,” said Hannah Gabelnick ’26, who represented Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice.
Gabelnick is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’
After the walkout, protestors shared their positive sentiments and renewed commitment to the causes they cared about.
“As a person whose family and future could be dramatically affected by proposed policies under the incoming administration, these past few days have been frightening,” said Ryan Divan ’28. “Coming to the rally was a chance to hear other perspectives and discuss how to contribute to the future I wanted to see.”
“The rally helped alleviate a sense of despair that had settled upon many in the wake of the election,” added Divan. “It signaled we would remain steadfast and spurred us to enact change.”
Eojin Park is a News contributor for the ‘Prince’ from Seoul, South Korea.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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