Students and local residents gathered on Smith Plaza to protest President Bush's inauguration on Thursday.
People began gathering at around 10 a.m. when Bush was giving his inaugural speech.
UNM students Aimee Schaefer and Parisa Asgharzadeh organized the event with the League of Democratic Action.
They said they realized they had to do something after being disappointed by the 2004 election results.
"We didn't know how to feel or what to do," Schaefer said. "So we decided to come out here and let people speak their minds, and we will filter how to feel from that."
Schaefer asked students walking by to make a poster or draw on the sidewalk with chalk, regardless of their political views.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"We just want to know what people think," she said. "This is a free-speech zone, and everyone needs to speak their minds."
Asgharzadeh said she wanted the protest to allow people to peacefully express their views and keep the negativity at a minimum.
"I want it to be all peaceful," she said. "With negative energy, people get mad and violence can start. These are all good people out here who just want peace."
A local activist provoked a heated conversation with two students.
Paul Gerschowitz was asking passersby if they'd like a bus ticket to Canada. Students Sean Christopher and Justin Maier didn't agree with his tactic.
"I'll buy him a one-way ticket," Maier said.
"What are they here to do?" Christopher said. "Turn over the inauguration? It's comical."
Christopher, who is in the military, told Gerschowitz the troops are fighting so American people can retain their freedom - including the right to protest.
Gerschowitz, who has been a political activist for 59 years, said he disagrees with the war and everything else the president did during his first term.
"This man, who parades himself around today as the president, is a thief and a liar," he said. "How more condemning can you be of an individual?"
Asgharzadeh said she also doesn't believe in the actions of the Bush administration.
"We don't believe that we chose this leader," she said. "I'm not in support of him, and I know a lot of people aren't. Maybe it takes seeing people against it for them to get involved."
The rally officially began at noon, with Schaefer addressing the crowd of more than 100.
"The time for change is right now," she said. "If we keep together and united, things will change."
Asgharzadeh said she was happy with the turnout.
"It's so great to see so many beautiful faces here," she told the crowd, adding the Bush administration aims to create division among citizens using fear.
"We can make a huge change," she said, getting choked up. "We just have to move now."
She also encouraged the crowd to refrain from making any unnecessary purchases.
"We must live simply and avoid supporting the system," Asgharzadeh said.
UNM alumnus Joel Young also said a few words to the crowd regarding his displeasure with the Bush administration.
"I'm an ordinary American who has finally become angry and afraid and ashamed enough to get up off my couch of complacency," he said.
Young said he feels that the elected officials in Washington, D.C., who claim to represent him have failed to do so.
"I must confess that I lack the courage and resolve to do what I fervently believe the founding fathers of this country would do if they were alive today, which is to chain myself to the White House gates and refuse to yield until the cowards and the liars within come outside and beg for the forgiveness of the good people of these United States," he said.
At 2 p.m., the crowd moved to Cornell Drive and Central Avenue where they coordinated with the League of Pissed Off Voters to begin a bike rally leading to a vigil at the federal courthouse downtown.
Defend Democracy and Veterans for Peace also participated in the protest.
