Protesters Donald Trump鈥檚 presidential election march around Campus Martius Park, Wednesday Nov. 9, 2016, in Detroit. A day after Trump鈥檚 election to the presidency, campaign divisions appeared to widen as many thousands of demonstrators flooded streets across the country to protest his surprise triumph. AP
CHICAGO鈥擳he raw divisions exposed by the presidential race were on full display across America on Wednesday, as protesters flooded city streets expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump鈥檚 surprise election as the 45th president of the United States.
From New England to heartland cities like Kansas City and along the West Coast, thousands of demonstrators carried flags and anti-Trump signs, disrupting traffic and declaring that they refused to accept Trump鈥檚 triumph.
Protests happened in major cities, including Boston, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, and on college campuses in California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
鈥楴ot my president鈥�
In Chicago, where thousands had recently poured into the streets to celebrate the Chicago Cubs鈥� first World Series victory in over a century, several thousand people marched through the Loop.
They gathered outside Trump Tower, chanting 鈥淣ot my president!鈥�
Chicago resident Michael Burke said he believed the president-elect would 鈥渄ivide the country and stir up hatred.鈥�
He added there was a constitutional duty not to accept that outcome.
In New York, thousands of protesters filled streets in midtown Manhattan as they made their way to Trump Tower, Trump鈥檚 gilded home on Fifth Avenue, where police installed barricades to keep the demonstrators at bay.
Demonstrators gathered in Union Square holding signs saying 鈥淟ove Trumps Hate鈥� and 鈥淭rump Grabbed America by the Pussy!鈥� before marching down in the thousands to chant in front of Trump Tower.
System broken
鈥淭he Electoral College is broken,鈥� protester Nicholas Forker said of the US indirect voting system. 鈥淚 think it definitely needs to be reformed. . .I think it鈥檚 ridiculous.鈥�
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears to be on pace to win the popular vote, despite losing the electoral count that decides the presidential race.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near Philadelphia鈥檚 City Hall despite chilly, wet weather.
Participants鈥攚ho included聽 supporters of both Clinton and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the primary鈥攅xpressed anger at both Republicans and Democrats over the election鈥檚 outcome.
鈥業mpeach Trump鈥�
In Boston, thousands of anti-Trump protesters streamed through downtown, chanting 鈥淭rump鈥檚 a racist鈥� and carrying signs that said 鈥淚mpeach Trump鈥� and 鈥淎bolish Electoral College.鈥�
The protesters gathered on Boston Common before marching toward the Massachusetts Statehouse, with beefed-up security including extra police officers.
A protest that began at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday night with about 100 people swelled as it moved into downtown St. Paul.
Protesters blocked downtown streets and traveled west on University Avenue where they shouted expletives about Trump in English and Spanish.
There were other Midwest protest marches in Omaha, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Students walk out
In Des Moines, Iowa, hundreds of students walked out of area high schools at 10:30 a.m. to protest Trump鈥檚 victory.
The protests, which were coordinated on social media, lasted 15 to 45 minutes.
Marchers protesting Trump鈥檚 election chanted and carried signs in front of the Trump International Hotel in Washington.
Media outlets broadcast video Wednesday night showing a peaceful crowd in front of the new downtown hotel. Many chanted 鈥淣o racist USA, no Trump, no KKK.鈥�
Another group stood outside the White House. They held candles, listened to speeches and sang songs.
Dallas activists gathered by the dozens outside the city鈥檚 sports arena, American Airlines Center.
In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland, burned American flags and forced a delay for trains on two light-rail lines.
Earlier, the protest in downtown drew several Trump supporters, who taunted the demonstrators with signs.
A lone Trump supporter was chased across Pioneer Courthouse Square and hit in the back with a skateboard before others intervened.
Several thousand chanting, sign-waving people gathered at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California.
A night earlier, in the hours after Trump won the election, Oakland demonstrators broke windows and did other damage.
In San Francisco, hundreds marched along Market Avenue, one of the city鈥檚 main avenues, to join a vigil in the Castro District, a predominantly gay neighborhood.
Trump effigy burned
In Los Angeles, protesters on the steps of City Hall burned a giant papier-m芒ch茅 Trump head in protest. Later, in the streets, they whacked a Trump pi帽ata.
Hundreds massed in downtown Seattle streets.
Many held anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter signs and chanted slogans, including 鈥淢isogyny has to go,鈥� and 鈥淭he people united, will never be defeated.鈥�
Five people were shot and injured in an area near the protest, but police said the shootings and the demonstration were unrelated.
Back in New York, several groups of protesters caused massive gridlock as police mobilized to contain them under a light rain.
They held signs that read 鈥淭rump Makes America Hate鈥� and chanted 鈥渉ey, hey, ho, ho Donald Trump has got to go.鈥� and 鈥淚mpeach Trump.鈥�
Police said they arrested 15 people. 鈥�REPORTS FROM AP, AFP AND NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE