President-elect responds to 2nd night of protests: 'Very unfair'

#NotMyPresident protesters continue marching nationwide

MIAMI – Demonstrators in both red and blue states hit the streets for another day Thursday to express their outrage over Donald Trump's unexpected win. The president-elect sniped back in a Twitter post. 

Vocal demonstrations occurred from New York to Los Angeles and each typically drew a few hundred people, fewer than the thousands that gathered in various protests that surged after it became clear Trump had won Tuesday's election.

Late Thursday night, Trump went on Twitter to take on the protesters. Trump tweets: "Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"

In South Florida, some 25 students walked out of Palmetto Senior High School and there have been small protests near the Freedom Tower and at the Torch of Freedom in downtown Miami. And another protest was set to begin Friday afternoon at Bayfront Park. 

High-spirited high school students marched through San Francisco's downtown, chanting "not my president" and holding signs urging a Donald Trump eviction. They waved rainbow banners and Mexican flags, as bystanders in the heavily Democratic city high-fived the marchers from the sidelines.

"As a white, queer person, we need unity with people of color, we need to stand up," said Claire Bye, a 15-year-old sophomore at Academy High School. "I'm fighting for my rights as an LGBTQ person. I'm fighting for the rights of brown people, black people, Muslim people."

In New York City, a large group of demonstrators once again gathered outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue Thursday night. They chanted angry slogans and waved banners baring anti-Trump messages.

"You got everything straight up and down the line," demonstrator David Thomas said. "You got climate change, you got the Iran deal. You got gay rights, you got mass deportations. Just everything, straight up and down the line, the guy is wrong on every issue."

Protesters briefly shut down interstate highways in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon. In Philadelphia, protesters near City Hall held signs bearing slogans like "Not Our President," ''Trans Against Trump" and "Make America Safe For All." About 500 people turned out at a protest in Louisville, Kentucky and in Baltimore, hundreds of people marched to the stadium where the Ravens were playing a football game.

No arrests or violence were reported.

Another protest was building in Los Angeles, where 28 people were arrested Wednesday for blocking traffic during a demonstration that also saw vandalism to some buildings and a news truck.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat, condemned what he called a "very, very small group of people" that caused problems in that demonstration but said he was proud of the thousands more that peacefully protested.

"I actually thought it was a beautiful expression of democracy. I think it was a marvelous thing to see the next generation of this country get engaged and involved," he said at a news conference, adding that at one time in his life he might have joined them.

As expected, the demonstrations prompted some social media blowback from Trump supporters accusing protesters of sour grapes or worse.

Trump supporters said the protesters were not respecting the democratic process.

As of Thursday, Democrat Hillary Clinton was leading Trump in votes nationwide 47.7 percent to 47.5 percent, but Trump secured victory in the Electoral College.

There didn't appear to be any groundswell of counter-demonstrations.

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Meanwhile on Charles St. #cantgrabthis😺

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Night 2. #GOPhandsoffme #NotMyPresident

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About the Authors:

Janine Stanwood joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor. She is now a general assignment reporter. Before moving to South Florida from her Washington home, Janine was the senior legislative correspondent for a United States senator on Capitol Hill.

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."