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As protests erupted across the country Wednesday in response to the election of Donald Trump, more than 60 people stood in a snowy Anchorage park, many holding candles in a quiet circle.
One by one, each person shared how they felt in the wake of the election — anger, sadness, fear, frustration, shock. And one by one, each person shared how they would move forward with Trump as president. They said they would share kindness, volunteer more, advocate for the values they believe in, continue to vote.
"Like a lot of you, I went through today feeling a little sick, feeling like I got kicked in the gut," said 61-year-old Mark Ransom, speaking to the crowd who gathered in the darkness behind a baseball field at Lyn Ary Park, in a state where Trump beat Hillary Clinton by a commanding margin.
The gathering was organized by MoveOn.org and its allies, which called for similar gatherings "of solidarity, resistance and resolve" across the country. The online event read: "We will affirm our continued rejection of Donald Trump's bigotry, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and misogyny, and we will demonstrate our resolve to fight together for the America we still believe is possible."
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Michelle Sinnott, a 32-year-old environmental attorney, stood with one gloved hand blocking the wind from her candle's flame. Sinnott said she planned on "fighting like hell."
"I know there's a lot of people who are really terrified about what this means moving forward. What does it mean for our civil liberties? What does it mean for constitutional rights? What does it mean for the environment? What does it mean for people who don't fit the white, male profile?" she said. "And I feel, as an attorney, I want to be there to hold the line and I want to let folks know that I'm going to be angry and I'm going to fight like hell and I'm going to make sure we don't get trampled on and we don't set ourselves back to the 1800s or wherever we may be heading."
The evening ended with the group singing "We Shall Overcome."