Anti-Trump Marches Hit St Andrews

The voices of millions have been displayed all around the globe in recent weeks as a protest of Trump’s policies, which many have argued defy basic humanitarian laws, economic and social justice. With support from St Andrews’ Amnesty Society, the Socialist Society planned a march to display their anger at the recently inaugurated president’s actions. 

Monday 30th January saw 300 people gathered outside the Students’ Union at 7 pm. Despite the event being University-run, local residents also turned up to join the protest. The petition condemning the ban was covered in signatures, front and back.

The streets were filled with warmly wrapped students all holding up signs and placards, expressing their opinions with humour. The homemade signs contained historical insights, puns and rhythm. These signs included, “hey hey hey, ho ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go”, “no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” and “build bridges not walls”.

One of the protesters involved, American Henrietta Dow, noted her opinion on the march: “It was very refreshing to witness decisive and opinionated action being taken at a university that I have come to see as fairly moderate, with a student body that has political leanings to every extreme. It felt empowering, being surrounded by people who I didn’t know, but who stood for the values I hold dear. And it has given me hope that even in this far flung corner of the world, the resistance will take root. I went to a march in NYC the night before the inauguration, and obviously the crowd was much bigger there, but there was that same feeling of determination that I got tonight which fired up everyone present.” 

Along with the marching and the petition, the Socialist Society simultaneously handed out flyers discussing the protest. The society believes these were the necessary steps to take, along with the march and petition, as it helped demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the current American administration. 

The Socialist Society itself became the subject of interest. Their Facebook page has seen an almost 600% increase in traffic, and scores more interested in their work. This will potentially lead to more similar events in the future which would continue to help raise awareness and help self-expression.

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