Protests against Trump continue across nation

NEW YORK — Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday in streets across the United States, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump’s surprise victory as president.

The protests — held in big cities like New York and Chicago as well as smaller ones, such as Indianapolis, Indiana, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Iowa City, Iowa — were largely peaceful Saturday, but two police officers were injured during protests in Indianapolis.

In Los Angeles, several thousand people marched through downtown streets Saturday to condemn what they saw as Trump’s hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women.

Jennifer Cruz, 18, of Ventura, California, carried a sign that asked: “Legalize weed but not my Mom?” — a reference to Californians’ Tuesday passage of a measure legalizing recreational marijuana use.

Cruz said her parents have been in the United States illegally for 30 years, although her mother has spent years seeking citizenship. Cruz called the possibility of their deportation terrifying.

“He doesn’t realize all the families he’s hurting,” she said of Trump.

Shawn Smith, 41, of Los Angeles wore an American flag vest and held a sign that said, “Love Trumps Hate.”

“What he’s been able to do is make 50 percent of the nation look over their shoulder,” he said. “If you’re gay, if you’re LGBT, if you’re Muslim, if you’re Latin, if you’re special needs, if you’re female, it’s a much unsafer place now.”

In Chicago, hundreds of people including families with children chanted “No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here” Saturday as they marched through Millennium Park, a popular downtown tourist attraction.

Sonja Spray, 29, who heard about the protest on Facebook, said she has signed an online petition urging the electoral college to honor the popular vote and elect Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“Women aren’t playthings. Journalists aren’t pawns. People of color are not commodities. Marriage equality is not up for debate,” Spray said.

Ashley Lynne Nagel, 27, said she joined a Thursday night demonstration in Denver.

“It’s not that we’re sore losers,” said Nagel, a Bernie Sanders supporter who voted for Clinton. “It’s that we are genuinely upset, angry, terrified that a platform based off of racism, xenophobia and homophobia has become so powerful and now has complete control of our representation.”