Thousands of people turned out in downtown Los Angeles in the wake of Joe Biden’s projected presidential victory to celebrate the win, defend democracy and demand an end to white supremacy.

Various groups led in part by United Teachers Los Angeles, Black Lives Matter and others converged at Pershing Square  to rally for a March toward City Hall.

The streets throughout downtown Los Angeles Saturday were filled with celebrants, some dancing, others honking car horns. A flatbed semi-truck blocked the intersection at 5th and Hill streets where demonstrators waved flags and held protest signs.

Celebrations, protests hit L.A. streets in wake of Biden’s presumed victory 2A scene from downtown Los Angeles on Saturday morning. (Photo by David Rosenfeld, Los Angeles Daily News SCNG) 

Chantelle Hershberger with Refuse Fascism yelled through a megaphone at the corner, demanding President Donald Trump accept the loss and vacate the White House.

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“National unity is not going to happen until there is a movement of people on the right side of history,” Hershberger said.

“We must take to the streets to ensure the will of the people,” Hershberger said. “Fascism is never legitimate. I don’t think we need to reach across the aisle with white supremacists. They aren’t going to give up.”

UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz, representing 35,000 LA Unified teachers, said the groups were demonstrating to demand a peaceful transition of power.

“The President is trying to delegitimize black and brown votes,” Myart-Cruz said. “At what point do we stand up for what’s right? I would say right now.”

BLM LA co-founder Melina Abdullah addressed the crowd gathered at Pershing Square. “What we voted for was removing the most racist, repressive, violent and most vile occupant of the White House we’ve seen in our lifetimes,” Abdullah said. “This moment is a victory for the people but we won’t just hand that … over to Biden and Harris for nothing. We want something for our votes.”

Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election by multiple media outlets at around 8:30 a.m. PST after reports surfaced that he would win Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes, putting him over the 270 needed to win the presidency.

An hour before Biden was declared the winner, Trump issued an all-caps tweet that said, “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!”

In a statement, Trump reiterated baseless claims that votes are being counted improperly. He also emphasized his campaign’s legal challenges to the voting process, several of which have already been thrown out of courts because of a lack of any evidence of wrongdoing.

In Mission Viejo, dozens of Trump supporters gathered in the parking lot of the Shops at Mission Viejo Saturday morning. Trump and American flags, mounted on their cars and trucks, flapped in the wind. Rain trickled down as Twisted Sister’s played on oversized speakers, “We’re not gonna take it.”

The mall was the staging area for a caravan headed to Beverly Hills, where a large rally was planned.

The mood was festive even as the election had been called for Biden.

In Huntington Beach, dozens of flag-waving Trump supporters chanted “four more years,” while motorists shouted expletives and called them losers.

Huntington Beach Lt. Brian Smith said two women were detained after a fist fight broke out. One woman had a swollen eye.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.

This story is developing. Please check back for more.