Skip to content Skip to footer

Sections

Trending

Latest

More

© 2026 Truthout
News
|
Politics & Elections

Demonstrators Block Trump During March for Love and Solidarity in Pittsburgh

Thousands of demonstrators gathered near the Tree of Life synagogue to condemn Trump’s embrace of white nationalism.

By
An estimated 4,000 people held a solidarity march and protest against Donald Trump's presence in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood on October 30, 2018, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Support justice-driven, accurate and transparent news — make a quick donation to Truthout today! 

As President Donald Trump arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday amid opposition from local officials and activists who argued the man responsible for stirring so much racist hatred should not visit the site of a deadly mass shooting motivated by anti-Semitism, thousands of peaceful demonstrators flooded the streets near the Tree of Life synagogue to condemn Trump’s embrace of white nationalism and demand that he end his assault on immigrants, refugees, and other minority communities.

While the protestors and mourners were barred from approaching the synagogue as Trump lit memorial candles near the site of the deadliest attack on Jews in American history, reporters who accompanied the president said they could hear the chants and songs of protestors who marched down nearby streets.

As Trump attempted to leave the synagogue, police rushed to carve out a path for the presidential motorcade — but Trump was ultimately forced to take a different route after authorities were overwhelmed by the sheer number of protestors filling the streets wielding signs that read “President Hate is not welcome in our state” and “Your words have consequences.”

“The shooting is almost like a manifestation of his hate that really hits home,” Elisa Borrero, a 26-year-old demonstrator and Pittsburgh resident, told Al Jazeera. “I wanted to let him know we do not want him here.”

Rev. Susan Rothenberg — who lives just a block away from this weekend’s anti-Semitic attack — shouted “it’s not about you!” as the president and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Pittsburgh.

“Let the families grieve. This is our neighborhood,” Rothenberg shouted from the front of her home. “You are not welcome here!”

Following Tuesday’s afternoon demonstrations, massive crowds gathered in the streets later in the evening to continue mourning the victims of Saturday’s hate-driven atrocity, which left 11 dead and several more injured.

“As we’re grieving, we recognize that the murder of 11 Jews on Shabbat did not happen in a vacuum — this violence is part of white nationalism. White nationalism targets a rotating cast of scapegoats with violence,” IfNotNow, an American Jewish advocacy group that helped organize Tuesday’s protests, declared in a series of tweets on Tuesday. “Nationalism, anti-Semitism, and white nationalism cannot be allowed to exist in our city. We have seen this before — here, and in countries our ancestors fled. For many of us, our families came to this country to escape brutal leaders like Trump.”

25 Years of Truthout: An important fundraising appeal

This September, Truthout is celebrating 25 years of publication. For over two decades, we have been a trusted source for fiercely independent journalism thanks to readers like you.

As we look to the next 25 years, we have launched a special fundraising campaign. Looking to a sustainable future for our publication, we have a fundraising goal of $100,000 in the next 9 days.

We are asking for your support at this juncture because we face greater threats than ever before in our organizational history. Trump and his MAGA allies are determined to control the information ecosystem, and movement-based organizations are subject to dangerous censorship and scrutiny.

If you can support Truthout with a one-time or monthly donation, you will make a significant impact on our work and our legacy. Anything you can do makes a difference!