Protesters took to the streets in downtown Philadelphia on Tuesday as President Trump visited the city to speak at the annual convention of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). 

For many Philadelphians lining up outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Brett Kavanaugh, the President’s pick for the Supreme Court who has been accused by several women of sexual assault, was on the top of their minds.

“I’ve been politically active, so when I heard Trump was down here I felt I had to come and make my voice heard, especially in light of everything that’s gone on with the Kavanaugh appointment,” one protester named Gillian said.

“There’s always some new atrocity to get pissed off over,” she added.  

Fran Castoriano, who recently moved to Philadelphia, said: “I was just going about my daily business, and my doorman said, ‘guess who’s here today?’ And I said, ‘who, Pence again?’ and he said, ‘no, Trump,’ and I said, 'ahh! let me grab my mini megaphone.'”

She continued: “I’m just appalled about everything that’s going on, the ignorance and the lack of compassion, and the changes that are so negative. Instead of moving forward I feel like we’re moving backwards hundreds of years.”

As the convention let out at the end of the day, tensions between the protesters and the attendees flared up.

Michelle and Jerry, two convention-goers in town from the Midwest, stopped to talk to AL DÍA as they left the Convention Center.

“If you had been inside, it was a very inspiring talk,” Michelle said of President Trump’s, remarks. “You know, you have your ‘me, me, me’ stuff that he talks about, the ‘I do this and I do that,’ but he is the president of the United States.”

“We’re business people, and he’s talking about bringing vocational schools back in,” Jerry said. “Vocational schools have been lost and we’ve lost our middle-class worker, and that was really his message today. Because all the people in the electrical industry are vocationalists, they don’t have four-year degrees. They have two-year degrees and they make 80,000 to 100,000 dollars a year. They’re good jobs.”

Meanwhile, protesters were not all just left-wing Democrats as some may be led to believe.

Bob Levins, a self-proclaimed Independent, had a list of grievances about the Trump presidency.

“I’m here just to let Trump know that we really don’t love what he’s doing at all. There are just so many issues, just week after week of something he’s either turning over that is to protect human rights or working people’s rights or union rights,” he said. “And this latest one with Kavanaugh is just a disgrace.” President Trump left for a campaign rally in Mississippi following his brief stop in Philadelphia.