Students speak out against now President Trump

Today UNC students gathered at the steps of the South Building to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States.

Sophomore Madison Bennett was one of the main organizers of the walkout. Bennett said that speaking out against Trump was something she was doing not only for herself, but for the people she cares about.

“I’m part of a group called One State One Rate and we decided to plan this protest in light of the inauguration and the election of Donald Trump,” she said. “Because of his hateful comments and the strong possibility that he will enact dangerous policies that will have negative effects on many of the students on this campus, we decided to stage a protest to raise awareness.”

Bennett and her fellow protesters held signs reading “Not my president” and “Stop profiling Muslims.” She said many different student’s groups came together after Trump's election to support each other during a time that was difficult for them.

“Everyone needs to have access to basic human rights,” she said. “Everyone needs to feel safe. The election of Donald Trump is not going to help that happen, we are.”

Junior Carlos Mendiola stood on the steps for almost two hours holding a sign that told students to call UNC-system President Margaret Spellings. Many of the protesters said that it is the school’s responsibility to stand up for its students, and said they no longer felt safe at a school that wouldn’t.

“I remember going to breakfast that morning (after the election) and just being scared. I never thought I’d feel that way here,” Mendiola said. “I walked into the dining hall and just thought ‘Wow, these people don’t care about me.’”

Mendiola said this feeling after Trump’s election was what inspired him to participate in the protest.

“This really showed me that people do care and that’s important,” he said. “I wanted to have this protest today to remind everyone that there are people out there willing to fight for you.”

During the protest students were invited to take the microphone and share their concerns. Many of the student speeches focused on the status of undocumented students and concerns that they and their friends had after listening to Donald Trump.

Laura Duque, a member of Students United for Immigrant Equality said she participated in the protest for her fellow students.

“This is a really scary time for immigrants living in the United States, and we want to create a safe space for them,” she said.

At the protest junior Rubi Franco Quiroz told the story of her parents crossing the border and the hardships she’s faced growing up as an undocumented immigrant.

“My parents were willing to sacrifice their lives for me, because that’s how much they love me. So when people ask me how I do what I do and what motivates me, my answer will always be my parents,” she said.

Quiroz said sharing her story is hard for her, but she thinks it’s important to talk about these issues in the wake of the election.

“This election we saw a side of America eager to be exposed,” she said. “A side ecstatic about breaking apart families. A side that doesn’t support human rights. A side that has always existed, but has now become so explosive that many like me can barely breathe.”

university@dailytarheel.com

This story has been updated with more quotes from the protest (Jan. 22, 4:21 p.m.).