Hundreds of University of Texas at Austin Students Take to the Streets in Anti-Trump Rally [UPDATED]

AUSTIN, TX -- Hundreds of University of Texas at Austin students hit the streets Wednesday in a five-hour protest over the election of Donald Trump the night before.

Trump scored a stunning upset in Tuesday's election, securing more electoral votes than Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote. In the end, Trump achieved 290 electoral college votes to Clinton's 228.

Some of the peaceful protesters gathered on the main campus in the shadow of the iconic clock tower that serves as its centerpiece after returning from their march along downtown streets. The mass of humanity shut down two bridges along the way as well as several key arteries, including Congress Avenue and South First Street, creating traffic back ups and detours downtown.

The gathering fronting the university tower was a part of a larger assemblage of students that meandered from campus, through downtown streets, on to the grounds of the state Capitol and back again. The protests began at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday and continued until after 5 p.m.

The mass of students gathered in front of the pillar housing the clock tower, the base of the structure of which the words "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" are etched into the stone.

"This is not the end!" a student leader shouted, his words repeated by the crowd in unison. "This is only the beginning!" Another chant: "What we realize is that love is more powerful than hate! Love Trumps hate!"

The chants shouted in unison reverberated across the South Mall portion of campus encompassing the expansive and breathtaking Littlefield Fountain built in 1933 to honor students who died during World War I. In the distance straight away from the gathering, the Capitol building from which they returned could be seen in the distance, slightly shrouded during daylong showers.

A young man identifying himself as "POTUS" said the rally was intended as a rebuke of Trump's rhetoric during his campaign. The real estate magnate sparked his race for the presidency by questioning President Barack Obama's citizenship, later calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals and calling for a ban on Muslims entering the country.

"We all dream the same, but there has to be a level playing field," he said. "We're all people and have an objective we're all trying to accomplish. This is about unity. This is just the beginning and we're in for a good fight — but not with our fists."

His thoughts on Trump being elected president: "It show that sometime people make the wrong choices."

The university newspaper The Daily Texan, live streamed the protest:

Joshua Ellis, 19, a double major in government and African-American studies at the University of Texas at Austin, said the rally was meant to rebuke the outcome of the election given Trump's record of divisive rhetoric.

"This is not a pro-Hillary Clinton, it's a rally against Trump," he said. "He's not our president. The man does not belong in the office of president of the United States. His was a campaign born of fear. People of color are scared; LGBTQ individuals are scared; immigrants are scared."

The main objective of the rally was to promote unity and solidarity as Trump prepares to take the reins of power, he said: "This is to show people they're not alone. I've seen tears shed today, not of sadness but joy that we've got each other's back."

The local protest was one of several that broke out throughout the country the day after the Nov. 8 general election. Protests in Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; Oakland, Calif.; Philadelphia; Portland; Sacramento, Calif.; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Paul, Minn.; Washington, D.C.; and other cities were organized Wednesday to protest the ascendancy of Trump to the nation's highest executive office.

>>> Photos by Tony Cantu