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Screenshot of Facebook Live video, filmed by Dennis Dean. 

Hundreds of people gathered to protest a Donald Trump presidency and have their voices heard, initially meeting at Bixby Park Saturday evening and marching to the heart of downtown Long Beach.

The Post captured the incident live, in over a period of time that began at 6:00PM and lasted approximately two hours, with protesters chanting “United as one” and “No Trump. No KKK, no fascist USA.”

Hundreds of people gathered to protest a Donald Trump presidency and have their voices heard, initially meeting at Bixby Park Saturday evening and marching to the heart of downtown Long Beach. Read more: lbpo.st/2fReZst

Posted by Long Beach Post on Monday, November 14, 2016

Full videos: 12

Shortly following the protests, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia described his mood with the GIF of two Star Wars characters fighting with light sabers. He followed it up with a tweet that read “Fight on,” and reiterated Long Beach’s commitment to mitigating and adapting to climate change.

He thanked everyone for keeping the protests in Long Beach peaceful.

Prior to the protests, a coalition of groups who felt personally targeted by Trump’s rhetoric gathered for a candlelight vigil to share their thoughts and provide a forum of support.

“There’s language that divides us… it takes us back so many years and so many decades,” said Elliott Gonzales, affiliated with Stop Fracking Long Beach!. “[…]A lot of our communities were targeted, and we want to reaffirm what Long Beach is all about.”

A series of community members spoke up in a circle, as candlelight splashed onto the pavement at Harvey Milk Park.

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Photo by Keeley Smith. 

“We have community,” Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce said “And what we have to do is we have to come together in community and say, ‘You know what. We can spread our love, we can spread our compassion, and we do that by sharing.”

She referenced the Proposition 8 campaign, as tragic.

“Eight years ago, right now, we were happy because of Obama, we were sad because of what California did. And now, the tables have turned,” said Pearce. “And what we did is, we went door to door and talked to neighbors. We went door to door and talked to people who thought they didn’t know anyone who was LGBT, they didn’t know someone from the immigrant community. […] We have to be able to come together and say, what can we do? And I think that that’s going out and talking to different people. We need to go to purple areas, or red areas, and not try to change their mind, but talk to them. […] Not having a debate, but sharing your personal story.”

An additional protest is scheduled for city residents this Saturday, November 19 at 6:00PM.