BERKELEY (KRON) — Thousands of Bay Area high school stduents have staged walkout rallies outside of their schools on Wednesday in opposition of Donald Trump becoming the 45th President of the United States of America.
Mass amounts of students gathered outside Berkeley High School school around 8:20 a.m, just as classes were getting underway at the school. Approximately 1,500 students are protesting against Trump winning the presidential election, according to a Berkeley Unified School District spokesperson.
District Spokesperson Charles Burress estimated about half the school’s students were participating. Classes, however, were still being held for students wishing to attend.
Students then gathered outside the school, taking turns to speak on microphone.
“Donald Trump may be president, but we are gong to make sure that this man, that he is going to prioritize the well being of the people, so please join us in this fight,” an unidentified student said to the crowd.
“He wants us to turn against each other,” another female student said as she held back tears. “I just want to emphasize that as young people it’s our job to continue to fight like our parents fought for us.”
Berkeley HS walkout t in opposition of Trump
Burress said the students have been very focused and respectful of each other and the situation.
“The district prefers that its students are in class and participating,” Burress said. “However, we do understand their concern and we take it very seriously when they feel passionate about political issues. We’re doing everything we can to support them.”
Berkeley High School is a public high school located at 1980 Allston Way in Berkeley. The school has an enrollment of 3,417 students, according to records from 2010.
Berkeley High School is not the only school with anti-Trump protesters. Two high schools in Oakland and one high school in Alameda also staged walkouts in opposition of President-elect Donald Trump.
On Wednesday morning, hundreds of students at Oakland Technical High School briefly left their classes around 10:00 a.m. and gathered on campus to hold a rally. The rally was short-lived as students then decided to return to class and regroup around lunchtime, according to Oakland Unified School District spokesperson Valerie Goode.
“We encourage our students to be informed critical thinkers and encourage our staff to help students share their views,” Goode said. “We want to give them the opportunity to understand and be a part of the democracy.”
Students at Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School also held a walkout Wednesday morning, according to social media posts. The students held a rally on campus, in which they raised their fists in the air and held a moment of silence.
Bishop O’Dowd High School is a private high school ran by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oakland.
Students of Encinal High School in Alameda also participated in a walkout on Wednesday. Video from the walkout captured students chanting “F**k Donald Trump”.
Additionally, approximately 300 students from Richmond High School, John F. Kennedy High School and El Cerrito High School began marching toward Richmond City Hall around 1:00 p.m., according to Richmond police Lt. Felix Tan.
The students first marched to City Hall and then marched to Cutting Boulevar near Interstate Highway 80, Tan said. There, officers watched as the students peacefully gathered and protested. The students then marched back to City Hall.
College campuses throughout California also protested against Trump following his win of the presidential election. Anti-Trump protesters have also taken the East Bay streets.
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Bay City News contributed to this report.