Anti-Trump protest planned downtown Chicago ahead of Tulsa campaign rally

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Dozens of protesters marched through downtown Chicago Saturday night, while President Donald Trump's Tulsa campaign rally got underway.

An activist group known as Refuse Fascism planned the local rally, which began at Millennium Park in the Loop about 6 p.m. and ended at Trump Tower in River North.

"I haven't really been out before. I felt that I needed to get out. I just recently turned 18. I am about to go to college so I needed to make sure I get out into the real world," Noah Williams said.

Supporters of Trump were filling streets Saturday around the Tulsa stadium where the president held his first rally in months, ready to welcome him back to the campaign trail despite warnings from health officials about the coronavirus.

The rally originally was planned for Friday, but was moved after complaints that it coincided with Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S., and in a city that was the site of a 1921 race-related massacre, when a white mob attacked Blacks, leaving as many as 300 people dead.

"We have seen all the Black people dying, and us being young Black girls, we should know about this and we should be out here," Chicago protester Demanee McDonald said.

The downtown Chicago protest happened alongside demonstrations across the country, in response to the president's first campaign rally since the pandemic. Protesters believe the president is fueling racism in this country.

"I have a nephew, and I don't want him to grow up and feel like his life doesn't matter," Bex Johnson said.

They're hoping their steps will inspire others to take a stand and fight for equality.

"This isn't something we can just stay home and Twitter about. We need to get out. We need to make sure change happens no matter what we have to do," Aaron White said. "Mask up, stand up and speak out."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.