Man arrested as demonstrators clash

Hundreds of anti-Trump protestors confronted by small group for Trump

Police form a human wall to divide Trump objectors and supporters after one man was arrested at demonstration. Yeye Zhu/Toronto Observer
People gathered at Nathan Phillip Square before march down to Trump Tower

People gathered at Nathan Phillip Square before the march to Trump Tower. (Yeye Zhu/ Toronto Observer)

Despite the cold and rain, hundreds of people gathered at Nathan Phillips Square for the anti-Trump protest on Saturday afternoon to support their American allies.

At one point a dozen police offices lined up to divide the Trump protestors from a small group of objectors holding signs reading “Make Canada Great Again.”

One man was arrested during the confrontation. Police have released no further information yet on the arrest.

Protestors against Trump included Americans working in Canada.

Yvon Wang, a history professor from University of Toronto, holding an American flag at the protest.

Yvon Wang, a history professor at the University of Toronto, holds an American flag at the protest. (Yeye Zhu/ Toronto Observer)

“Frankly, I’m very frightened for my country, and a little ashamed,” said University of Toronto history professor Yvon Wang, who is from Georgia. “I see a man who has done virtually nothing to prove that he can bring us together. And I saw a lot of proofs in the completely opposite direction.”

She said Trump is inciting discord and hatred, and is legitimizing violence against many groups. “That’s fascism,” she said.

Jon McCurley, 34, an artist from Life of a Craphead who has a Vietnamese background, said she feels personally affected by the result of the US election.

“This week seeing anti-Asian pamphlets distributed in Vancouver, or the protesters in the beaches in Toronto for example, is threatening to me and makes me feel unsafe.” McCurley said. “I feel it’s important to show that there are more people against it.”

Protesters at the rally in the rain

Protesters at the rally in the rain. (Yeye Zhu/ Toronto Observer)

The cause of the problems in the United States is capitalism, said Christina Olanick, a member of the Fightback, a Marxist group at the rally. “A lot of the voters for Donald Trump are from poor working class people who used to have quality jobs. As capitalism progresses more and more, those jobs are drained up, people are frustrated.”

The American people are desperate for change, she said. “The people who voted for him actually recognize that he’s absolutely terrible, but they just need the change.”

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Posted: Nov 20 2016 10:01 pm
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