A peaceful, if loud and boisterous, protest against the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States began at about 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, when a large number of Menlo-Atherton High School students – more than 1,000, an Atherton policeman said – gathered on the school campus with their signs and frustrations over Trump’s positions.
The students left the campus, some marching on Middlefield Road, Oak Grove Avenue, and other streets in a wide, lengthy and apparently impromptu circuit that led back to M-A, at least for some.
A smaller group of students marched to Palo Alto, up University Avenue and then cut back toward Willow Road, according to Menlo Park Police Department spokesperson Nicole Acker.
Around 3:15 p.m., the Menlo Park Police Department sent out an advisory that 200 to 300 people were walking toward U.S. Hwy. 101.
Some students gathered in the vicinity of Hamilton Avenue and Chilco Street in eastern Menlo Park, Acker said. Soon after, a group of about 40 students were reported returning to the M-A campus along Ringwood Avenue, having crossed the foot bridge over U.S. 101.
Acker said that the police department was focused on keeping the students safe and the protest was entirely peaceful.
“The roadways are clear and everyone is safe,” she said.
Helen Chafee, a student at Menlo-Atherton, said she chose to march “Because some very close friends could lose their civil liberties.”
Sophomore Tinka Rayner said she was marching to support people who hate Donald Trump. “I don’t stand for anything he’s trying to support,” she said. Asked to elaborate, she cited racism and sexism.
The Menlo Park Police Department deployed about 12 officers to cover the march, according to one officer. The Atherton Police Department also participated, he said.
This reporter encountered three sophomores lying down near the bike bridge at Alma Street between Menlo Park and Palo Alto. They had broken off from the march and were headed back in the direction of the school.
“People were upset and they wanted to say something and they did in a good way that was peaceful,” said Michael Daley.
“I just don’t think it was productive,” said another sophomore who didn’t want to give his name. They should donate to an organization that Mr. Trump “is going to de-fund,” he said. “Go volunteer at Planned Parenthood, or something,” he said, as they got up to leave.
A group of Palo Alto High School students are also organizing a walk-out and demontration for Tuesday afternoon in response to last week’s presidential election results. Paly students will walk from campus at 2 p.m. to Lytton Plaza in downtown Palo Alto, where they will join students from Gunn High School, Castilleja School and Stanford University at 2:30 p.m. “The goal of this peace march is to spread messages of love, unity, acceptance and equality” — it’s not about the president-elect specifically, a news release states. It is also open to all, regardless of political affiliation.
Stanford University students are also organizing a “People’s Walkout” and march Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing “healing, resilience, and community building,” an event description reads.
You live in an affluent bubble. Perhaps your time would be better spent analyzing the results and understanding why trump win rather than acting on knee jerk reactions.
These protests are meaningless. At the end of the day, Trump beat Clinton by a huge margin and that is the result of the election. Trump is not evil, he has good intentions whether you don’t agree on the ways he does it. Perhaps if students weren’t brainwashed by the media they wouldn’t think Trump is so bad.
Good for these students, learning to exercise their First Amendment rights! At the very least, even if we may not agree with their sentiment, we can expect a generation of avid voters!
@Love, not Hate
No, I agree with the posters above; the proper reaction should be a smug sense of superiority in feeling that you’re smarter than schoolchildren.
I never thought I would say this, but I’m glad Trump won. I have always been a reliable Democratic voter, and I hope to be again, someday. But this is just too much for me. Who do these people think they are by blocking our streets? Suppose someone needs to get to the hospital?
Does every student get a participation trophy?
Maybe if we all learned to look at things from the students’ perspective and understand why they feel the need to protest we wouldn’t be so divided. The solution is to work together, not promote an “us vs. them” environment.
People just need something to believe in. Instead of assuming, wait to see what Trump does. There is no way we should have put someone who compromised national security in the Oval Office.
@Gunn High School
Your neighborhood is the biggest bubble I know- POP POP!
@Disappointed-
As well as I guess all those educamated folks in the bubble didn’t teach you Clinton won the popular vote- there goes another POP POP in your bubble! That’s ok, your weighted GPA will take the bubble far!
Send those kids to protest in Philadelphia,
They are paying the minds of mush $1500.00 a week..
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/npo/5862770802.html
@menlo park
Popular vote is meaningless, hopefully kids aren’t being taught that it is. If our presidential election was determined by popular vote candidates would have campaigned differently ( think Hillary going to Texas, trump in California to address large population centers) . Likewise voters would behave differently – did some trump voters in Massachusetts not bother to vote, same with Hillary voters in Kentucky knowing the states wer a lock for the opponent.
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
― Elie Wiesel
The protests achieve at least one positive thing. They serve to keep visible the support that the community of all races and ethnicities wants to give to those who will be most vulnerable or oppressed . That is important.
Trump and many of his followers used harsh rhetoric to divide this country. They talked about killing a presidential candidate if she became president and they talked about revolution and not accepting the people’s vote if it didn’t work in their favor. Let’s not forget that.
Just because Trump got elected is not an excuse to develop amnesia. While he may (hopefully) soften some of his positions, the electorate can only take a man at his word. Are we to believe now that what he promised to do all of these months are a bunch of untruths?
Actions speak louder than words, and his appointment of Steve Bannon as his chief strategist and advisor is an action that speaks volumes.
I do agree that demonstrations should only be the first step. As communities we will need to support vulnerable organizations, groups and individuals through massive organizing, volunteerism and financial aid, as the sophomore said in the story. To be most effective protesters must make that transition.
But let’s not trivialize the visual impacts of demonstration. The numbers of protesters might just put a damper on some of the Trump regime’s more radical policies, and it may give marginalized communities a sense of hope. Being present and not complacent is crucial to being watchdogs over abuses.
@menlo park – Clinton only lost based on the score, she won yards gained!
For every one who is going to get on here and say bad things about how we handled our protest just here to let you know to always look at it in others perspective because its not like were against the people who support them its more that we dislike Him for the horible things he siad. And just think like our protest was nice and respectful and it didnt turn into a riot like in oakland (no offence) and yo every one else just keep protesting and keep it peacful.
Good for the students! Don’t be discouraged by the negativity here. The ratio conservative comments here are not reflective of the community overall. My wife was out and about this afternoon and couldn’t get where she wanted on time, and had no complaints seeing the kids making themselves heard out there. I would hope that emergency vehicles could get through or around quickly. If not, the police need to declare an unlawful assembly and I’d hope that peaceful protesters would disperse.
Meaningless Comments, e.g. pure mental masturbation doesn’t help students learn to think.
Tomorrow there’s suppose to be a combined protest staring at Paly w/Gunn, Stanford students, etc participating.
My daughter, a Paly Junior said: “I’d participate, but there is no reason, no clear purpose why they are marching/protesting – it’s senseless”. That’s the thinking kids should have – think about what you are doing and understand it…Now if I can get her to stop using “like” every 4th word…
Comments such as the ones below help no one…You can’t bitch about popular vote after your candidate loses – and they didn’t “remove” the illegal votes/aliens/dead people. So stop whining and get a life….We need a Parliamentary system like Germany.
@menlo park – Clinton only lost based on the score, she won yards gained!
– Huh? WTF? She’s going to jail.
@Disappointed-
As well as I guess all those educamated folks in the bubble didn’t teach you Clinton won the popular vote- there goes another POP POP in your bubble! That’s ok, your weighted GPA will take the bubble far!
– Clearly not clue how to use spell-check and weighted GPA wouldn’t apply because they’d never take an AP course…
“Posted by Love, Not Hate
a resident of Menlo Park
1 hour ago
Love, Not Hate is a registered user.
Maybe if we all learned to look at things from the students’ perspective and understand why they feel the need to protest we wouldn’t be so divided. The solution is to work together, not promote an “us vs. them” environment.
– Huh?
I am one of the many students that protested today and I am proud to say that I stood up for what I believe is right. I know that my voice may not be heard but if we all come together we shall be heard. It takes time but one day.. We will be heard #MAPRIDE #MAPROTEST #POWERofthePEOPLE
Everyone is titled to their opinion and it is ignorant to disrespect others because of their opinion. Our peaceful protest brought together a large group of meaningful and gave us hope. I strongly believe that their is hope for our country even though Trump is going to make America sink.. We will arise from his cruelty and speak out. #NotMyPresident #DisappointedInMyCountry
@Student Protester – If you want your voice heard, you need to block the freeway next time. But you should also think about learning to be a gracious loser.
@NoMoPa as i was saying, it takes time. Obviously we were heard because ur here reading and responding to us. Dont disrespect my/our opinion. Go get a life or at least do something with ur life, like us students! Bye Fam
Whomever stated that the students live an affluent bubble probably isn’t fully aware of the demographic of this High School. Yes, there are affluent kids, but there is a huge component of students born of immigrant parents. Most students were too young to vote and probably feel as though they had no voice in this election. This is their voice. They’ve learned a valuable lesson in their ability to influence the election when they are able to vote. I live only a block or two from the school and there was no chaos nor was my access to get in our out of my neighborhood blocked. The students informed the administration that they were planning this.
Based on the smiling pictures it looks less like an “anti- Trump” march and more like a “pro- get out of class free for a day” march.
So proud of these kids for paying attention and thinking about the impact of this election on so many. Not only the policy dangers, but the emotional toll as we cope with feelings of fear, betrayal, victimization. Protest is about more than just being heard. It is about human beings coming together in solidarity and support around issues they feel passionately about.
How anyone could object to, let alone attack, young people choosing to peacefully and legally spread messages of love, unity, acceptance and equality is beyond me. Shame on those who would cut down these kids for seeking strength and hope together after the “grown-ups” outside the “bubble” handed them a result that so threatens the very nature of their nascent self-identity.
Way to go kids!
And listen to the message sent loud and clear. Trump won overwhelmingly in the Electoral College. Popular vote is irrelevant.
We have the Electoral College system because we are a nation of states as in United States, remember. House and Senate were won by Republicans, and there now are only 16 Democratic governors out of 50! Also I heard this week that one third of the House Democratic caucus come from only three states, Massachusetts, New York, and California. Again, that’s why we have an Electoral College. The upper East Coast and California/Oregon do not get to decide the path of the country. Peaceful demonstration is a right, but all the the young demonstrators would be better off in school studying Civics.
Togetherness and a unified America is the way forward. Good for these schoolchildren for promoting unity among not just their own groups, but among all groups!
“At the end of the day, Trump beat Clinton by a huge margin and that is the result of the election.”
Clinton: 61,434,587 votes; Trump: 60,641,859 votes. Draw your own conclusions.
“There is no way we should have put someone who compromised national security in the Oval Office.”
I agree. But somebody did put somebody in the Oval Office who publicly invited the Russian CIA to hack into a US email stash possibly containing classified material. The initials of that latter somebody are DJT. Draw your own conclusions.
Interesting statistic: Republicans have never put a new president in office in the 21st century who won the popular vote. They have needed that peculiar anachronism of the slavery era to invert the express will of the voters each time.