On the morning of 6 November 2024, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, was declared the winner of the presidential elections, beating his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris with a wider-than-expected margin. In Philadelphia, a traditional Democratic stronghold, many were in shock.
A lone protester has positioned herself on the central square.
Wearing a pink hat and a black mouth cap, Isabel is standing in front of Philadelphia’s town hall, holding a board that says: “Fascism – Not Welcome in Philly.”
“The outcome to the vote is extremely concerning," she says. "But I'm not surprised."
Today, she says, she will stand here with her sign. "I will let people know that racism is not acceptable," she adds. "Sexism, homophobia, fascism, are not acceptable in this country.
"I am upset and sad, I am terrified. I think a lot of people are.”
Cathy O’Connel, who is on her way to work, agrees.
“Incredibly disappointed in Americans today," she says.
"I went into last night feeling some shred of hope, and I think Philadelphia turned out the vote for Kamala, which is the reasonable vote."
Philadelphia for Harris
According to figures published by the Philadelphia city government, 528,783, or well over half a million Philadelphians, or 78.29 percent of the voters cast their ballot for Harris, against 137,163 votes, or 20,27 percent who voted for Trump.
But the Philadelphia vote failed to reflect the mood nationwide.
"I don’t understand how Americans can vote for somebody who runs on a campaign which is just about power for himself, power that he doesn’t plan to share, with anyone who voted for him," she says
No riots, no violence
Denver Robbins, who has just left the town hall, bears the hallmarks of a Trump voter: beard, baseball cap and a blue denim jacket.
But Robbins is anything but.
“I am honestly surprised that the results turned out this way," he fumes.
"I did not think that the majority of people of the United States thought that voting him to victory was a good idea."
Robbins says he is happy that Philadelphia did not explode in riots and there was no violence, in spite of warnings from organisations such as the International Crisis Group.
“I was pleasantly surprised about how calm it was on Tuesday night and Wednesday," he says.
Landy, sporting a bright orange windbreaker and a golden pendant of a cross around his neck, is angry.
"I feel that a lot of votes weren't counted," he says. "There were a lot of Democrats voting yesterday. I'm frustrated about it. But what can we do?
"People do have to realise that the president still answers to somebody. Just because Trump is in, it doesn't mean that we just give up. It think it is up to the people," he says.
'They own everything'
But Matt Belsner, sporting a lumber jacket and designer sunglasses, doesn't agree.
“Our president is supposed to be our leader.
"He’s not supposed to be in every single affair that we have, but now we can’t keep him out of it, because they own the Supreme Court, the Senate and the presidency. They own everything," he says.
"I think the days ahead will be dark.
“If we judge from Trump's last presidency, the inflation rate will go up, because that’s exactly what he did last time.
"And with the new tariffs he's proposing in his program, taxes on goods and services are going to skyrocket, because that’s how tariffs work," he says.
The elections, he says, have torn his family apart. His father, never politically very interested, suddenly voted for Trump.
"During his last presidency Trump just messed up the future for every woman I know. I have a wife, a sister, a mother and maybe, one time, a daughter.
"And I really wish that my father would have thought about that before casting his vote," he says.
"I’m not fearful for me. I’m a straight, white man. But my heart does go out to everybody who isn’t his favourite target such as women and immigrants."
Cathy concurs.
“Trump runs on a platform of racism, that is really founded on white supremacy.
She adds that in the narrative of white supremacy, white men protect white women.
"Too many people, including white women, believe that, and feel that a white man like Trump in power will protect them from the threat of immigrants, a narrative which is purely invented," she says.
