Almost forty students gathered in Malcolm X Plaza chanting “Dump Trump” during an anti-Trump rally Monday, April 25, holding signs with Donald Trump’s face crossed out and printed with the slogan.
The event, hosted by the San Francisco Democratic Party, featured speeches by SF State students and San Francisco elected officials. The rally focused on what the speakers called Trump’s “hate speech” and the importance of voting in every election.
“I’m tired of his rhetoric. I’m tired of his hate speech. I’m tired of his racism,” Adam Rey, political director for College Democrats and a third-year political science major said.
Rey, along with Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party Mary Jung and member of the California Tax Board Fiona Ma spoke about the impact of this election season.
At the rally, students had the opportunity to register to vote and eat tacos provided by Taqueria Girasol in the Cesar Chavez Center.
According to Keenan Patterson, a third-year urban planning major and communications director for College Democrats, it’s important for college students to get out to vote no matter who they vote for.
“Just the fact that they’re voting is going to show that his hate speech is unacceptable,” Patterson said. “That’s not what we want on our campus.”
The speakers took the opportunity to remind students about the importance of registering to vote. Chair Mary Jung spoke about the importance of participating in the Democratic Party.
“I want students to vote, to become involved and take an active part in Democratic politics just like I did. It takes a long time to make change, and we need people to grab it while they’re young,” Jung said.
The Executive Director of the San Francisco Democratic Party Ally Medina registered more than thirty voters as speeches were going on.
“We need to show that people are motivated and that they care about this election and that they’re not gonna stand for the hate speech and the rhetoric on the other side,” Medina said.
The Republican Student Union was tabling during the rally as well.
Brian May, a third-year electrical engineering major and a member of the Republican Student Union, doesn’t think Trump’s speech is hateful. He thinks Trump’s position on issues like border security are realistic ideas to solve the drug problem in America. He didn’t approve of the “Dump Trump” posters that the San Francisco Democratic Party had sponsored for the event.
The rally was a success, according to Naeemah Charles, a fourth-year political science major and director of external affairs at Associated Students, Inc. She said the rally was not in response to the Republican Student Union’s advocacy for Donald Trump.
“We needed to make sure that we stand united in defeating Trump and make sure that everyone who can vote is able to vote,” Charles said.
