Hundreds Gather for Super Bowl Anti-Trump Protest in Houston

Local Editor

For the second consecutive day, hundreds of Houstonians on Sunday took advantage of the national spotlight brought by the Super Bowl to protest the presidency and policies of Donald Trump.

The protests kicked off in Houston's Hermann Park at midday, more than five hours before the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons faced off at the city's NRG Stadium for Super Bowl LI.

At NRG Park, protesters intersected with thousands Super Bowl fans, leading to one altercation in an otherwise peaceful march.

Protestors chanting "Black Lives Matter" got cheering applause from Atlanta Falcons fans at a tailgate gathering off Fannin.

Approximately 500 people carrying anti-Trump signs reading "Resist" and "Deport Trump," and chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go!" attended the march which traveled a two-mile route from the park to the stadium.

Local TV station KHOU reported that activists from Black Lives Matter, the local Democratic Party, the American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] and the Communist Party were all involved in the demonstration.

Lane Lewis, chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party, who helped coordinate the march, said it was purposefully scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday. The group estimated 1,000 participants.

"With the world media watching Houston, we wanted to show the world that we do not accept what is coming out of the White House right now," Lewis said.

Placards criticizing Patriots' star quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, who had expressed support for Trump in the past, were evident amongst the crowd.

The majority of signs carried by protesters, young and old, directed discontent with the president and his policies on immigration as well as his recent interaction with the justice system regarding the legality of his travel ban on Muslim immigrants.

There were also numerous signs condemning Trump's "Muslim ban," the executive order which prohibited people from seven majority Muslim countries from traveling to the US, and his plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Signs supporting the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline were also on display.

Trump will reportedly not be in attendance for the game, though Vice President Mike Pence is planning to be in Houston for the matchup between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team