The air was crisp on November 9th of 2016. Tensions rose as students and others gathered anxiously for the decision that would not only impact the next four years but for some could have the possibility of shifting their entire future. The race for presidency was extremely close, with each vote that came in I could hear the crowd change from being extremely hopeful to quiet. This was unlike any other experience I have ever encountered as I was surrounded by 100’s of individuals who normally would never interact with one and another. Many thoughts went flying through my mind, but one stuck was the next resident of the white house going to be the first female president Hillary Clinton, or the reality TV star Donald Trump? How did we get here?
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I did not know what was happening nor what was about to happen, all I knew was that I was a part of it. I began to think of the collective group and what was happening around me. We started to move, and the next thing I know we had walked all the way to Downtown Oakland, four miles from where we began. On our way, a group stormed the freeway and someone was hit by a car and was sent to urgent care. In Oakland tensions were even higher than they were on Sproul Plaza as people began to set literal fire to the street. I participated with the chants “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA.” Although I knew the decision of Trump in the house was not going to change I felt empowered by being apart of this chant. I continued chanting until I saw people harassing police officers which made me in a sense snap out of it, and step away from the crowd. Once I came to the realization of where I was and what I was a part of I knew I had to go home before anything bad happened. On my way out of the crowd I noticed there was officers arresting people and that there were others loitering stores, my friends and I left the scene and the crowd
I did not know what was happening nor what was about to happen, all I knew was that I was a part of it. I began to think of the collective group and what was happening around me. We started to move, and the next thing I know we had walked all the way to Downtown Oakland, four miles from where we began. On our way, a group stormed the freeway and someone was hit by a car and was sent to urgent care. In Oakland tensions were even higher than they were on Sproul Plaza as people began to set literal fire to the street. I participated with the chants “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA.” Although I knew the decision of Trump in the house was not going to change I felt empowered by being apart of this chant. I continued chanting until I saw people harassing police officers which made me in a sense snap out of it, and step away from the crowd. Once I came to the realization of where I was and what I was a part of I knew I had to go home before anything bad happened. On my way out of the crowd I noticed there was officers arresting people and that there were others loitering stores, my friends and I left the scene and the crowd