SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Demonstrations took to the steets in Oakland and San Francisco Wednesday night to protest President-elect Donald Trump.
Officers in riot gear were in downtown Oakland Wednesday evening responding to thousands of protesters gathering for a second night of demonstrations against the election of Trump. Vandalism has been reported.
At 5 p.m., protesters gathered at Market and Powell Street in San Francisco and the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.
As of 7:15 p.m., there was a peaceful protest on southbound Telegraph from Dwight in Oakland. About 3,000 people were moving northbound on Broadway, stretched out between 19th and 21st streets.
At 8:15 p.m., the crowd swelled to 7,000 people and is situated at Washington and 8th.
Later, the crowd had spread out to West Grand between Broadway and the 2000 Block of Webster.
Members of the crowd carried signs saying “Pussy grabs back,” “Donald Trump is a rapist” and “Secede #CalExit.”
By 6 p.m. the crowd had grown to an estimated 400 to 500 people, and some reports estimated the number of protesters as high as 2,000.
Around 6:50 p.m. the crowd began to march, heading south on Broadway with police walking alongside. Broadway had been blocked at 19th Street, however, stalling the protesters near the Paramount Theater.
Just before 7 p.m., police estimated that the crowd had grown to roughly 3,000 people, saying that traffic in the area was being impacted and asking drivers to use alternate routes.
At around 8:10 p.m., police tweeted they closed down the Broadway off-ramp from northbound 880 due to the protests in downtown Oakland. It has since reopened.
Fremont police are also assisting with the protest.
Traffic is impacted in the area.
Hundreds of angry protesters chanting, “Not my president,” filled the streets of Oakland and Berkeley Tuesday night after Donald Trump was elected president.
They walked from downtown Oakland to Highway 24, setting fires on Broadway and briefly shutting down the highway.
A protester suffered major injuries when she was hit by a car while demonstrating. Authorities say she is now in stable condition.
Multiple Bay Area schools walked out on Wednesday to also protest Donald Trump.
On Wednesday afternoon Oakland police were still assessing vandalism on several businesses after about 250 protesters marched through downtown in a demonstration that started late Tuesday night and carried on into the morning.
One protester was cited and small number of protesters were arrested on suspicion of vandalism and disobedience.
The window of the Agave Uptown restaurant, located at 2135 Franklin St., was vandalized by a man with spray paint as members of the crowd urged the vandal to stop. Broken windows and spray paint have been reported at numerous locations throughout the downtown area and Chinatown.
Other windows were smashed and spray painted in the vicinity of Webster and 17th streets.
Officers lined up in front of a Chase Bank location in the vicinity of Eighth and Franklin streets to prevent further vandalism after windows there were smashed. Trash fires were set nearby, and an American flag was also burned.
Police have deployed tear gas in Oakland, as the demonstration has been declared an unlawful assembly by police after bottles, rocks, and firecrackers were thrown at officers.
A large fire has been set in the roadway at the intersection of Broadway and 17th Street, and others have been set nearby.
San Francisco Police Officer Grace Gatpandan described the march as nonviolent, saying that no arrests have been made and no dispersal order has been issued.
According to the Berkeley Police Department, a third group was headed south on Telegraph Avenue from Dwight Way around 7:10 p.m.
At 9:13 p.m., Telegraph Avenue was closed off from the 1700 block to the 2100 block. Traffic is severely impacted, police said.
As of 9:33 p.m. police could be heard telling protesters to disperse from the loudspeaker of a helicopter.Stay with KRON4 News for full coverage of the protests