President Obama said Thursday in Berlin that he would not encourage Americans marching in protest of President-elect Trump’s victory to stop their demonstrations.
“I wouldn’t advise them to be silent,” Obama said of “people who feel strongly or are concerned” about Trump’s campaign rhetoric.
Addressing reporters after a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama suggested social media and the rise of false news stories are partially to blame for the rise of Trump and populism around the world.
“If we can’t discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have serious problems,” Obama said.
The president encouraged those dismayed by Hillary Clinton’s defeat to remember the importance of turning out to vote, acknowledging the millions of voters who stayed home Nov. 8.
“What I would advise … is that elections matter, voting matters, organizing matters, being informed on the issues matter,” Obama said. “And what I consistently say to young people … do not take for granted our systems of government and our way of life.
“I think there is a tendency, because we have lived in an era that has been largely stable and peaceful, where living standards have generally gone up … to assume that that’s always the case, and it’s not,” he added. “Democracy is hard work.”
Anti-Trump demonstrations rocked major cities around the country in the wake of his surprising victory last week. In Portland, Ore., protests devolved into violence.
