by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

An anti-Trump protest drew several hundred people from Claremont and surrounding communities to Indian Hill and Foothill boulevards on Thursday.

The May 1 protest, organized by Indivisible Claremont/Inland Valley Action Group, was one of many held around the nation.

An anti-Trump protest drew several hundred people from Claremont and surrounding communities to Indian Hill and Foothill boulevards on Thursday. Courier photos/Andrew Alonzo

Many such as Pat Cunningham of La Verne and West Covina resident Linda De Leon showed up to express their distaste of the Trump administration and it’s recent policy decisions they say are hurting the country.

“We believe that Trump is a danger to our republic, and he is anti- everything that we believe in democracy,” said Pat Cunningham of La Verne. “He’s trying to bring his minions in to change things … with no rhyme nor reason. The tariffs are ridiculous. His trying to get rid of Medicare and [offer] nothing for the middle class, it’s everything for billionaires.”

“He’s just bringing down so much chaos to the country,” said West Covina resident Linda De Leon.

Waving a sign that read “Only caring about your own rights is exactly how you lose them,” Richard Cabrera of Covina said he showed up to stand up for everyone’s rights.

“I mean, we see what’s going on in the government right now, and it’s not right,” he said. “I’m here to voice my opinion and hopefully it gets more people to do the same.”

(L-R) Leslie Walker, Ann Betz, and Peter Radovich at the Claremont May Day protest. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

Sabrina Perez of Covina said she came to the protest out of anger and desire to see Trump leave the White House.

“Well, first of all, the empty promises that they make, the lies that they spread, the way that they’re hurting people. They’re mostly billionaires that are sitting there and they can hold out through all these tariffs and things while the lower class cannot,” Perez said. “We’ve got to speak up for those folks. There’s no way that they are going to be able to do that. We’re going to have a lot more homeless people around here if we allow this to keep going.”

“I don’t think people really understand the powers the executive branch is supposed to have, and it’s being overstepped,” said Wrightwood resident Jeanine Little.

Pomona’s Ann Betz and Peter Radovich joined John Torres and Leslie Walker of Claremont, and many others, in circling the intersection’s four corners during the 90-minute protest. Torres’s sign read, “100 days of chaos & B.S.”

“The 100 days have been very chaotic where people are being deported, being abducted and thrown out of the country,” Torres said. “We have Ukraine that now has to fend for themselves because before they had an ally, now they lost the ally. The economy, the tariffs, the stock market, everything, everything’s chaotic. We have to stand up against Trump to tell him we’re not going to tolerate this.”

Jeanine and Jack Little of Wrightwood were among several hundred demonstrators who took part in a May 1 anti-Trump protest at Indian Hill and Foothill boulevards. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

Upland resident Brian D’Ambrosia-Donner, who is also Claremont Faculty Association president, took part in the protest.

“I, like others, have a pension that requires on a strong economy,” D’Ambrosia-Donner said. “And those pensions are being impacted by Trump’s destructive policies towards the economy, including tariffs and other protectionist attitudes.

“As a teacher for a long time trying to create a safe space for students — immigrant students, non-English, speaking or English learning students and all students — we now are at risk of folks coming in from the government to take those students out, to arrest those students, to send them someplace that they have fled. As a union member, Trump’s attack on organizing, on collective bargaining, on the organizing of federal workers really demonstrates and adds weight to his anti-worker, anti- sort of society, attitudes. Also, his negative impact on the economy is going to affect my pocketbook, my ability to buy things for my family and to support my family.

“It’s just making life more difficult.”