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Group calls on Towson University students to stage anti-Trump walkout

Hundreds of Towson University students staged an anti-Trump walkout Monday afternoon. (Photos by Skyler Henry/ABC2 News)

Posted at 8:06 AM, Nov 14, 2016

and last updated 2016-11-15 06:33:16-05

An anti-Trump walkout was held at Towson University Monday.

Hundreds of students are trying to figure out what's next after an hour long protest.

A group called the Social Justice Collective called for students, faculty and staff to walk out of classrooms and buildings at 12 p.m. and gather at Freedom Square to “stand against Trump's hatred, racism, bigotry, homophobia, Islamaphobia, and misogyny,” the group announced.

It's passion fueled by disappointment.

"These types of events need to happen frequently," John Gillespie Jr., a senior at Towson University, said.

It's an outcome that brought up countless students even professors.

President-elect Donald Trump's move to the White house is moving students both in support and opposition.

"It's not that it needs to happen after Trump gets elected. It needs to happen as much as possible until we get to the point where people are coming together enough and mobilizing enough against the same types of things that would cause a rise of a Trump," Gillespie said.

He says he'd like his peers to be more involved outside of the election season.

"It's trendy to talk about these problems right now, but there needs to be a substantive organized effort to make sure that, like, people are actively going to be engaged in these systems and these problems," Gillespie said.

One of many challenges he and others presented to his classmates.

"Regardless of who you voted for, I want people to know that we're a strong community and that's not just the LGBTQ community. That's everybody combined," Megan Boyle, a student, said.

It's a combination that students say will take everyone to do their part.

The protest comes after racially charged incidents were reported on campus. On Nov. 1, a male student wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat was assaulted by a woman and had his cellphone taken.

Trump supporter interrupts student protest. Escorted out by police @TowsonU @ABC2NEWS pic.twitter.com/ksTcM6cTMq
— Skyler A. Henry (@SkylerHenry) November 14, 2016

Last Wednesday, two African American students were reportedly harassed while walking to class. University officials are still investigating this incident.

Last week, at least 600 people marched through downtown Baltimore in response to the election. Anti-Trump protesters have flooded the streets of major cities nationwide.

Editors Note: The dates of the Towson University campus incidents have been updated for clarity. One incident was reported before the election. A post-election incident is still under investigation.

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Group calls on Towson University students to stage anti-Trump walkout

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