I feel the need to speak on behalf of the walkout that took place Monday, as someone who was involved in the process pretty early on.
#1. It was not a strictly "anti-Trump" rally. While most (all) of us are frustrated and frightened that he is now our President, I think I can speak for almost everyone when I say that we wish that he does well. Of course, we don't expect him to, given that his campaign promised to violate a number of basic rights that we stand for. Which is why we were overwhelmingly...
#2 ... expressing our support for the marginalized, with highlights on POC, Muslims, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, this was the primary reason for gathering together: to stand in solidarity with these people who currently are afraid as their rights and lives, which are already consistently undermined and undervalued, are at risk of being harmed even more so. And we did that primarily by...
#3... emphasizing a message of Love and Unity. Our chants, which out of respect for the school were only done during passing periods, consisted of ideas like "One life, one love," "Justice now," and "The people united will not be divided." Maybe the most beautiful one to hear was one in Spanish, which I think went "La casa unido no se dividirá" (unfortunately, most of us on-Spanish speakers struggled to catch on).
This was not singularly a protest of the ban from seven primarily Muslim countries, although that was an inciting incident.
This protest was not for Trump supporters to hear us and join us, or for the university to hear us and join us, or for moderates to hear us and join us. It was for us to be united; to know that we're not alone; and for anyone who might need the comfort to know that there are people willing to stand together, with hearts full of love, for the oppressed.
We're just doing God's work the best way we know how.