NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A New Rochelle High School sophomore convened an anti-Trump protest rally across the street from the Whitney Young auditorium early this morning as students, teachers, staff, school security and police looked on, some with admiration, others with indifference or derision.
Valerie, a 10th grader at the school partnered with members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, to hold the event. The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA or “RevCom” is a political party in the United States, founded in 1975, run by Party Chairman Bob Avakian, a political activist and author.
As planned, the protest rally turned into a march on Trump Plaza in downtown New Rochelle.
The “Students Refuse Fascism 2017” March stepped off shortly after 8 a.m.
Flyers advertising the protest march were circulated at the high school this week, prompting a broadcast message from New Rochelle High School Principal Reggie Richardson stressing that school would operate on a normal schedule on Friday.
One student was convinced along the way to join the march, staying with the group the rest of the day.
The New Rochelle Police Department provided traffic control for the small group of protestors, escorting them from behind as they moved down North Avenue. One member of the group was using a portable P.A. system but stopped after a warning by police.
The protestors drew attention as they went. Some drivers honked their support for the Anti-Trump message, pedestrians took flyers and made small cash donations.
Patricia Clark, a Para-Transit driver for the BeeLine bus service said she thought Donald Trump was smart but “things he says are dumb” after dropping cash in a donation bucket.
A group of postal workers briefly counter-demonstrated on the loading dock of the U.S. Post Office at the corner of Huguenot Street and North Avenue.
An employee of Trump Plaza in a blue jacket crossed the street to confront the protestors after they were pushed back to the sidewalk near the New Roc City garage by police. The man backed off after he was surrounded by the protestors.
The marchers left Trump Plaza, went back up North Avenue, to the McDonald’s near Iona College to greet high school students who typically frequent that location during their lunch break. Many of the students expressed support for the anti-Trump rhetoric of the protestors.
The group plans to “occupy” Trump Plaza on Saturday, according to Valerie.