New York ‘protect the vote’ rally turns into a party

“Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey! Goodbye….Donald Trump!” chanted the crowd as it paraded down 6th Avenue from Central Park to Madison Square Park in Manhattan. What was originally planned to be a Protect the Results protest last Saturday ended up being an all-out celebration of the defeat of Trump and his extreme right anti-labor and racist policies. Originally called by various trade unions in NYC, the protest grew to the thousands in Columbus Circle just feet away from the Trump International Hotel.

As the crowd gathered, people danced, cheered, honked horns, clapped and banged pots from balconies. Similar celebrations gathered in other parts of New York City.

The Communist Party USA and the YCL joined the festivities and held high banners that read “People and Nature Before Profits” and “Defend Democracy.” One protester from Brooklyn told People’s World that she, “…didn’t expect Biden to win. I thought Trump was going to win fair and square in regards to the rules laid out by Electoral College.” Despite battleground swing-states like Ohio, Florida, and Texas going red quite early in the voting process, the masses of working Americans who voted against fascism remained patiently while the results were counted in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada.

Despite Biden winning Pennsylvania Saturday morning and thus reaching the 270 necessary Electoral Votes to be declared president, “American people cannot afford to get lazy,” as a construction worker stated in a megaphone at the protest with a Biden/Harris sticker on the side of his white hardhat. “This is going to be a long two months of trying to get this monster out of the White House. Defending the votes is far from over.”

“And he’s right, forcing Trump out of the White House may be as difficult as taking a crying toddler out of a candy store after missing their nap,” said Brooklyn CP club leader Chris Butters who stood nearby.  He continued. “The all-people’s front which ousted Trump must continue the protests to defend democracy and count every vote.”

Other demonstrations are being planned this week according to march organizers. The election results were too close for comfort with Trump possibly planning mass rallies in swing states to protest the results.

This article orginally appeared in peoplesworld.org.