Election Outcome Sparks Protests At Texas State University

By, Connor Brown

What started as a small silent protest by Hillary Clinton supporters Nov. 10, soon turned into several hundred students protesting as both Donald Trump and Clinton supporters congregated in The Quad following the election.

President Denise Trauth observed the protest Thursday afternoon and said the community at Texas State highly values diversity, tolerance and staying together as a community.

“Clearly, we also value the First Amendment as students, faculty and staff have a right to exercise their First Amendment freedoms, but what they’ve got to be very careful about is that they don’t cross the line from freedom of expression into taking actions which cannot be tolerated,” she said.

Arden Goolsby, English sophomore and one of the organizers of the silent protest, said what started as a few people in a group text quickly turned into several hundred students.

“I’m astonished in a good way,” she said. “It’s great seeing this turnout. We’ve had some negative experiences but overall it’s been very positive here today.”

While the varying groups of students in attendance also protested for the LGBTQIA cause and the Black Lives Matter movement, the original primary focus stemmed from political pushback of Trump being the new president-elect.

“We understand that Trump is president,” said Goolsby. “What we are here to do is to speak out and say that we will not be pushed down by the rhetoric that is being thrown at us from all angles.”

Although the majority of students appeared to be Clinton supporters, several Trump supporters joined the fray as well, toting signs that said, “Not my president but OUR president” and “Trump loves you, Trump loves America.”

“I don’t believe Donald Trump is a racist, I don’t believe Donald Trump hates Muslims,” said Cordell Bunch, finance junior and Trump supporter. “There’s a lot of people out here with signs that say both of those and I just think it’s a false rhetoric.”

In a campus-wide email, Trauth encouraged the university community to “maintain an atmosphere that protects free speech, but one that is respectful to other members of the Bobcat community.”