1,000 Anti-Trump Protestors March In Gainesville

About 1,000 people marched along University Avenue in Gainesville Saturday against President-elect Donald Trump.

Protestors met at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center about 4 p.m. and marched past the University of Florida and Midtown before eventually ending up at downtown’s Bo Diddley Plaza, where speakers encouraged the protestors to be active in politics.

As they marched, protestors played music and waved signs that read, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable members,” and “Safe place for all.”

Adding to the noise of the protesters as they traveled through Midtown was a large cheer that erupted from the rooftop of Midtown Social as the Gators won their football game against Louisiana State University.

Protestors were met with some pro-Trump supporters holding Trump signs and flags. There was a slight altercation between a supporter and a protestor that ended with the protestor running away.

There were a few other minor incidents, Gainesville police spokesman Ben Tobias said, but overall, the event was safe.

Gainesville police blocked off parts of the shoulder of University Avenue to create a barrier between traffic and the protestors. It’s the police department’s job to “protect their rights to protest” and to make sure everyone is safe, Tobias said.