In response to the election of right-wing billionaire Donald Trump as president elect in the US, a “Dump Trump” protest was organised on November 12.
The action was in solidarity with African Americans, Latinos, LGBTQIA people, the disabled and women, all of whom have borne the brunt of attacks by Trump and his supporters as they exploited xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia and misogyny during the long election campaign.
Trump encouraged his supporters to attack those protesting against him. In the wake of Trump’s election there has been a rise in hate crimes against the various communities targeted by Trumps campaign. But there have also been many protests against Trump in response to this.
After a welcome to country by local Nyoongar Elder Ben Taylor, the rally, co-chaired by local activists Farida Iqbal and Sahra Jane, was addressed by Indigenous activist Carina Abrahams, who addressed the racism that Aboriginal people suffer here and expressed solidarity with those suffering in the US.
Disability activist Samantha Connor and LGBTQIA activist Oscar Kaspi-Kruchett addressed the attacks that people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA community have suffered.
In particular, they addressed the willingness of Trump to mock disabled people during the course of the election and the homophobic and transphobic record of his running mate, the Christian fundamentalist governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, who is notorious for his advocacy for “gay conversion” therapy.
The crowd marched through the city to Forest Place, chanting “Dump Donald Trump on his billionaire rump” before Christelle Barrere Collet spoke on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement, expressing solidarity with the movement in the US.
Kamala Emanuel, from the Socialist Alliance, spoke out against Trump’s record of sexual assault and rape allegations as well as his promotion of sexism and misogyny.
She said we have to push back against the far right in Australia, who have taken heart from the election of Trump. We must promote an alternative to the economic and political exclusion of the system we have now, based on social inclusion not bigotry and hate, she said.
Local comedian Helchild also made an appearance as Pauloine Fartson. Attempts by a handful of far-right counter-protestors in support of Trump to crash the rally were unsuccessful.
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