Protesters reject Trump rhetoric, demonstration escalates into vulgarity

By Audrey Davis and Ceili Doyle, The Miami Student

As Donald Trump Jr. was speaking inside Brick Street on Monday afternoon, around 100 protesters stood outside and chanted in opposition of Donald Trump's comments on sexual assault and minorities and his hateful campaign rhetoric.

They carried "Love trumps hate" signs and homemade anti-Trump posters while shouting phrases like "Black Lives Matter" and "dump Trump."

Early in the afternoon, only a small group of protesters stood outside of the Phi Delt gates, passing out "Love trumps hate" signs. The protesters planned to gather across the street from the bar at 1:30 p.m, and grew in numbers as the day went on.

Outside of Brick Street, hundreds of people lined High Street, anxiously awaiting for the doors to open.

Oxford Police Officers were stationed outside of the bar and on the corners of the High Street and Poplar Street intersection. Miami University Police Officers and Butler County Police Officers were also stationed around the event.

Across the street, protesters started to line the sidewalk, discussing the event and displaying their signs above their heads.

A group of international students from China paused to look at the protestors.

"It's not very suitable for me to comment," sophomore, Yifu Zhang said. "But I don't think you guys should let Trump be the president. That's a disaster, totally."

Quinton Couch and Rukaya Abdallah, Miami seniors, carried original signs to protest Trump Jr.'s speech. Couch's sign read "Whites only" and was covered in blood-red paint with an arrow he pointed towards Brick Street and Abdallah's read "Pussy Grabs Back."

"For me, I think the real reason behind the rise of Trump is not this idea that people are living on the fringes of the American economy as much as it is this idea of shifting demographics in the United States," Couch said. "It's a lot of scared white people, in my opinion."

On his way into the bar, first year Jake Conger and Trump supporter offered his opinions on Trump Jr.'s decision to speak to Miami students.

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"I think it's great that he's coming to a swing state in this late part of the election," Conger said. "It's good way to drum up support and let the people of Ohio know that Trump is with them."

Tammy Atha, a grad student and anti-Trump protester, held up a sign which read, "I was sexually assaulted in this bar. It is not just locker room talk."

"My sophomore year I was sexually assaulted in Brick Street, so for me, it's personal," Atha said. "Donald Trump's rhetoric is not a representation of America, and I'll be damned if he's president."

Keith Tuma, professor of English, shared his disdain over the hundreds in line for Trump Jr.'s speech.

"I think it's a spectacle of disgusting proportions," Tuma said. "I find the prospect of a Trump presidency horrifying, but it's a democracy, or it's supposedly a democracy."

The protest group, which had grown to around 40 students, started shouting "Love Trumps Hate" in unison.

Charles Kennick, a sophomore at Miami, joined the protest in support of Clinton.

"They have a nice turnout over there," Kennick said, "I like the police presence. I think it's pretty comical how they assume it's going to get out of hand. But we don't really hate the people, we just hate the man that they're supporting."

The hatred for the man that some students and Oxford residents alike support, comes from a series of lewd comments Trump has made regarding women.

"I don't think that anyone should be supporting any sort of comment he makes," vice president of College Democrats Matt Ziegman said. "That was not locker room talk, and no matter how he tries to excuse it, I think the American people know the truth."

Stephen Dana, an Oxford resident, joined the protest group which had previously consisted solely of college students. He applauded all the people who came out to express their views.

"It's a very reasonable and positive statement that people are making," Dana said. "They are saying what their signs say which is 'let's love each other, and let's not tear each other down.'"

Eventually, the protesters made their way across the street and crowded in front of Brick Street before being told by police officers that they needed to move.

"We don't want any issues," an officer told them. "Please go to that street corner over there. We just do not want any issues."

The protesters did not move, but they did create a pathway for passersby to walk through freely.

The protesters' chants became more vulgar as the day went on, transitioning from phrases such as "No justice! No peace!" to "Tiny hands, Tiny dick!" and "We won't stand for your tiny fucking hands!"

A few protesters left the main group and joined a silent protest across the street.

The swarm of students, Oxford residents and visitors had begun to pour outside from the bar around 2:40, coming face to face with the anti-Trump protesters.

"I think [the protestors are] being manipulated by the mainstream media," Adam, a Miami senior, who declined to give his last name, said. "They've never really heard Donald Trump communicate his stance on issues. They've only ever heard 30-second Facebook videos that misinform them on what they say or what he's done."

After the crowds had dispersed, Larry Shannon leaned up against the gates outside the bar, holding a "Hillary for Prison" sign.

"Donald Trump's not perfect, but Hillary Clinton is the epitome of corruption in politics," Shannon said. "Scandals have followed the Clintons since Bill was governor in Arkansas, and I think it'll keep following her if she becomes president."

Shannon went on to add that he believed Hillary was a corrupt Secretary of State and her presidency would only continue to cascade into a world where career politicians are running our country.

Paul Odioso, a proud Trump supporter and Miami alum, was confronted by a group of protesters as he walked out of Brick Street.

"They engaged me, and they put me down as a stupid Trump supporter," Odioso said. "I told the one, 'Why don't you think for yourself young man?' And then he just threw F-bombs back to me. I just thought it was unfair and typical of the emotionalism propaganda that these people believe. They don't want to have a substantive discussion about the issues. They want to name call and antagonize, and I'm glad police officers were there."

On the other end of the spectrum, Ziegman declared the anti-Trump protest a peaceful success.

"I think students were very clear, Donald Trump and his divisive rhetoric aren't welcome at Miami University," Ziegman said. "His hate-filled campaign has no place here in Oxford."