Protesters Shut Down Chicago Traffic Over Trump's Election
(CBS) -- Thousands of protesters gathered outside Chicago's Trump Tower Wednesday evening following the billionaire's election to the White House and later shut down Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue during a march around the downtown.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez says the event at Trump Tower was billed as an "emergency protest," and thousands had signed up via Facebook. The demonstration started at 5 p.m. and lasted into the evening.
Participants said they can't do anything about Tuesday's election of Trump, the divisive Republican presidential nominee, but wanted their voices heard, anyway.
Chicago police were on hand to keep the peace. During the course of the evening, protesters split into different groups, with one large faction marching onto Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, stopping traffic temporarily. Others stayed closer to the tower, blocking its entrance.
Similar protests occurred Wednesday evening in other U.S. cities, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
SLIDE SHOW: Trump Protesters Take To The Streets
A different kind of Chicago event had been planned by another Facebook group -- to "Point and Laugh at Trump Tower" the day after the election.
The organizer made some last-minute changes, given Trump's unexpected victory.
Now that the joke is not on Trump after all, the organizer of the Chicago version of "Point and Laugh at Trump Tower" has decided to change the name of his Facebook group to "Let's make some (bleeping) lemonade out of this lemon."
Instead of pointing and laughing at Trump's building on Wabash, the Facebook page organizer writes that he will convert the page to a forum for "anyone... who feels threatened by the current state of the country."
Police said five people were arrested during the protests. Two men were arrested for obstructing traffic; one man was arrested for reckless conduct, one man was arrested for trespassing, and a juvenile was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest.
Despite traffic disruptions, roadway obstructions and at times, individuals climbing onto vehicles, there were no major incidents," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
Police estimated the total number of protesters at 1,800 to 2,000 people.
