On Thursday, students walked throughout the halls of campus buildings at 2 P.M., an hour earlier than organized on social media feeds, shouting “Walkout! Shut it down!” to oppose the presidency of Donald Trump.
Others rallied chanting “Not my president” or “Si, se puede.”
Students among the crowd pulled the fire alarms in King Hall, Music building, Biological Science, and Salazar forcing students, faculty, and staff to evacuate.
Several anti-Trump protesters were blocking students and faculty from reentering the buildings due to the fire alarm. While others pulled doors open when classes were in session and shouting them to join the walkout.
Students peacefully gathered outside the green area of King Hall for the second time this week holding signs that read: “Don’t wanna be an American Idiot”, “Immigrants belong! We all belong!”, “Make America gay again”, “Love”, “Black and Brown in solidarity”, and “Black Lives Matter.”
Few bold students were yelling at the protesters saying, “What’s the point?”, You’re paying for this loss of class time”, and when protesters were trying to persuade students to join they responded, “I’m expressing my First Amendment not to [referring to their participation in the walkout].”
With sirens wailing in the background, protesters stopped along the Salazar plaza to address those who joined.
In one incident, while students shouted “Keep the peace” there was an altercation between two students, one of which identified himself as a Trump supporter. The situation was quickly diffused but many shouted “you’re at the wrong demonstration.” One man shouted into the crowd, “the people did not vote Trump into office. We don’t want a pimp and a hoe.”
In another altercation, an undocumented student who held a preference to Trump, but did not vote because of his status engaged in a shouting match with other passionate students.
Students who didn’t participate in the walkout, but looked on discussed their hesitance to join. ”This campus is filled with hypocrisy. They say all opinions matter, but it only matters if it’s aligned with theirs,” said a third year Communications major who agreed to speak in anonymity.
Her friend interrupted to add, “Their making this issue an all-or-nothing. Our campus is very liberal, no denying that, but when we discuss our views it quickly becomes a mob rule where they are screaming racist and stuff.”
Half of students began to disperse themselves from the walkout as the demonstration went off campus and into the 10 Freeway, fearing traffic issues and personal safety, as a result of the protest.
Local Stern Mass high school students mixed into the crowd as the protesters made their way to the Westbound 10 Freeway.
Once students went into rush hour traffic, California Highway Patrol temporarily shut down the 10 and began dispersing the crowd away from the freeway around 3:45 P.M. Several demonstrators walked onto oncoming traffic blocking all lanes temporarily and backing up vehicles.
Cal State LA sent a mass text update that access to the 10 freeway near the University had been restored at 5:03 P.M.
Multiple students have been arrested, as reported by NBC 7. No word on how many were arrested and on what charges.
Any updates will be added as the situation changes.
Mario E Torres Torres • Nov 11, 2016 at 11:23 am
The UTimes has been falling behind. This rally was no where near the 710. We briefly shut the the 10 freeway. I urge you to double check your stories.