Protestors marched through downtown Eugene Sunday afternoon, calling on the community to fight back against the incoming Trump administration.
Demonstrators gathered at the Wayne Morse federal courthouse, holding signs that denounced billionaire political donors, and waving Palestinian flags.
Kaleigh Bronson-Cook, a local organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said this was an opportunity to build a network to combat Trump’s agenda.
“We have to be ready for whatever comes, and the only way to do that is by getting organized,” she said. “It means organizing our neighborhoods, our communities, to defend against mass deportations, to defend against attacks on trans and LGBTQ people and women.”
Nikolai Anderson, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Eugene-Springfield branch, called on workers to get more involved in union organizing.
Anderson argued Trump’s appointments to the National Labor Relations Board will make it less friendly to workers, and more likely to disregard Unfair Labor Practice complaints. He said unions need to be strong enough to challenge their employers without federal help.
“If you can go on a strike and totally shut them down, and they have to come to the table, there is no need for the Board to even step in,” said Anderson. “Don't wait for a hero. You have to be the hero here.”
At the rally, speakers also criticized the two-party system and Democratic leaders, saying they have not done enough to protect abortion rights or reform the healthcare system.
The event saw no long-term presence by counter-protestors. But one driver dropped several fake $100 bills on the street, with the words “Kamala Lost LOL” printed on the backsides.
Donald Trump will take the oath of office on Monday in Washington, DC.
