LOS ANGELES — Interest in pushing for California’s secession from the United States has increased after Donald Trump won the presidency.
The “Yes California” campaign is backing an independence referendum in support of a constitutional exit of the state from the U.S.
In the wake of 60 percent of the state’s voters supporting the presidential loser, Hillary Clinton, the movement is getting renewed interest.
“As the sixth largest economy in the world, California is more economically powerful than France and has a population larger than Poland. Point-by-point, California compares and competes with countries, not just the 49 other states,” the campaign’s website said.
The #calexit name stems from the successful “brexit” campaign in Britain to leave the European Union.
While the Yes Campaign has been considered a fringe movement in the past, it began trending on social media Wednesday night, attracting more mainstream notice. Supporters are proposing a referendum on the issue in 2019.
Hundreds of protesters — many of them Latino — hit Los Angeles City Hall on Wednesday night chanting “¡Si se puede!” (Spanish for “yes, it’s possible” or “yes, one can” — a longtime rallying cry of the United Farm Workers).
Activists chanting #NotMyPresident in cities from coast to coast occupied the streets protesting the election results that made the former reality show star the next president.
Police estimated thousands of people stood outside New York’s Trump Tower protesting the president-elect’s positions on immigration and law enforcement.
“I came out here to let go of a lot of fear that was sparked as soon as I saw the results,” protester Nick Powers said.
