The I-Mall at NMSU is a bustling place. Sometimes there are blood drives, sometimes there are sororities and fraternities tabling for recruitment, sometimes there are eccentric minister’s convinced they will change the minds of today’s youth by screaming out bible verses. Today, however, the I-Mall has something different; today the I-Mall has marchers. In light of the recent presidential election, protesters have gathered across the nation to execute numerous marches in protest of newly inflicted government policies and ordinances, and today NMSU will be the proclaimed stomping ground to one of the widely known “Love Trumps Hate” marches.
As students gathered outside of the NMSU Corbett Student Center in preparation for their march, the energy became almost tangible. People from the community joined students on Tuesday, February 14th, in what would be a march from the top of campus to the bottom of the horseshoe. There, a microphone was set up where students and community members would gather around to hear the powerful speeches and stories from individuals who are taking a stand against President Donald Trump. Pupils and community members alike joined together, signs in hand and voices loud, and began to march to the west end of the campus.
The “Love Trumps Hate” movement has been prominent across the nation since the election of Donald Trump. Similar movements began even before voting took place in protest of his campaign. After the election the United States has been the place for over 200 protests and marches. The Women’s Marches being the most popular. This Love Trumps Hate march in particular was organized by Aggie Solidarity and the Young Berniecrats, two NMSU organizations that, according to their Facebook page, joined together in order to “Bring unity and solidarity among diverse organizations at New Mexico State University and the Las Cruces community”.
Member of the Young Berniecrats, Ann Cashman, of Iowa, is in total support of the protest and believes it’s a proactive way to stand up to the current administration, stating that “it’s the only really way to get other people to understand that we stand with minority groups, we stand with water and Earth protectors, we stand with people that are being hated by the current administration, in particular Trump”. Cashman explained that she is water protector in reference to the Dakota Access Pipeline that will pass through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Cashman actively worked to protect the reservation and to prevent the pipeline from going through by collecting donations and holding events in Las Cruces in support of the protests against the pipeline. She stood among as many as 50 marchers holding a freshly painted “Love Trumps Hate” sign accompanied by a matching T-shirt.
Members of the various organizations that were in attendance spoke to the crowd about why they chose to march and how much it meant to them. The first to speak was a member of Aggie Solidarity, one of the organizations who helped put together the event. Her introduction was given in English and in Spanish as she went on to address the concerns and fears that individuals have for the next four years. She expressed the wishes of the various organizations throwing the event by asking for “total unification”. Protesters and marchers stood in the cold and listened intently as she spoke. Other Speakers followed including a guitarist who wooed the crowd with a powerful performance sung entirely in Spanish.
Among the listeners in the crowd stood Cindy Latch. She wore a black rain coat and pink knitted beanie. She stood with two others who also wore the same symbolic beanies. Mrs. Latch has a husband and three kids, two of which are girls. She is an NMSU Alumni who recently found her way back to Las Cruces in April of 2016. The Love Trumps Hate march is the third march that she has attended, following the No DAPL Marches and the Women’s Marches. When asked about her attendance, Latch explained that she is marching because she fears what might come with Donald Trump’s presidency. “I’ve been horrified since the election of Donald Trump and I want to go to everything that’s available to protest and say I do not agree; this is not acceptable”.
Latch expressed her concern for her two daughters, saying that she is horrified for them. She might be referring to the defunding of specific organizations such as Planned Parenthood that provide free healthcare specific to women’s needs. Or perhaps she is fearful that her daughter’s might lose rights that they believe belong to them, since President Trump has expressed his desire for a Pro-Life society.
The Love Trumps Hate march saw a variety of student and community organizations as well as regular individuals who stood by the cause. They gathered together and listened to the speeches and ideas of fellow marchers for over an hour, seemingly unscathed by the cold, windy weather. They talked amongst themselves between speeches, and as I stood near the edge of the crowd and watched it was easy to see the connections being made. The event was covered by various news sources and interviews were being conducted all around. Marchers were proud to justify their protest to the public. The number of people in attendance was smaller than expected, presumably because students were attending classes, but the energy was alive none the less.