About 60 people gathered in downtown Coachella Saturday morning to protest former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally planned later in the day near the city’s outskirts at Calhoun Ranch.
Indio’s Matthew Maldonado said it’s important for everyone to understand that Coachella Valley residents are not in favor of Trump coming to their community.
“We are a community of immigrants. We are a community of Mexicans. We are a community with hardworking values. Everything the Republicans claim to be,” he said. “So we kind of embody that here, so it’s important for all of us to come here and express that to everyone.”
Protesters held signs reading: “Coachella Valley No Place for Hate” and “Keep CV Great Deport Trump to Moscow” on a lawn at 722 Vine Avenue near Coachella Veterans Memorial Park.
Speakers at the meeting included Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, Coachella Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Virgen, Indio Council Member Oscar Ortiz, Democratic Women of the Desert Chair Amalia DeAztlan, Coachella Valley Unified School District Board Member Jocelyn Vargas, CVUSD President Joey Acuña and TODEC Executive Director Luz Gallegos.
Hernandez told The Desert Sun that he organized the rally to let people know that Democrats are united. He said they are making sure their voices aren’t drowned out at this weekend’s Trump rally.
“We’re not intimidated, are we?” he said. “We understand that the (Trump) rally is happening right here in our backyard, but we also have a voice.”
Protest: ‘We’re not going back’: Valley Democrats denounce Donald Trump’s rally
A figure of former President Donald Trump stood outside the rally looking toward the street with the words “hate,” “racism,” “KKK” and “fascism.”
Alexandra Cauhape, an Indio resident, placed a small pride flag in Trump’s hands. She said she attended the meeting because she supports Vice President Kamala Harris for president and is anti-Trump.
“I just can’t explain how awful he is,” she said. “He would be such a disaster for the United States.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Dozens of protests at Coachella ahead of Trump’s planned campaign rally
