Having started on election night, and continuing into Wednesday, tens of thousands of mostly young Americans across major US cities protested the election of Donald Trump as the 45th US president into Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with the protests at times turning into controlled riots. Some demonstrators burned flags and smashed store windows. Dozens of arrests have been made following the rallies.

As Bloomberg put it, the "raw divisions exposed by the presidential race were on full display across America on Wednesday, as protesters flooded city streets to condemn Donald Trump's election in demonstrations that police said were mostly peaceful", although video evidence showed otherwise.

From New England to heartland cities like Kansas City and along the West Coast, many thousands of demonstrators carried flags and anti-Trump signs, disrupting traffic and declaring that they refused to accept Trump's triumph.

In Chicago, where thousands had recently poured into the streets to celebrate the Chicago Cubs' first World Series victory in over a century, several thousand people marched through the Loop. They gathered outside Trump Tower, chanting "Not my president!"

In Manhattan, a protest drew about 1,000 people. Outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in midtown, police installed barricades to keep the demonstrators at bay.

In Washington DC., marchers protesting Trump's election chanted and carried signs in front of the Trump International Hotel. Media outlets broadcast video Wednesday night showing a peaceful crowd in front of the new downtown hotel. Many chanted "No racist USA, no Trump, no KKK."

In Philadelphia, protesters gathered near City Hall despite chilly, wet weather. Participants — who included both supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the primary — expressed anger at both Republicans and Democrats over the election's outcome.

In Boston, thousands of anti-Trump protesters streamed through downtown, chanting "Trump's a racist" and carrying signs that said "Impeach Trump" and "Abolish Electoral College." Clinton appears to be on pace to win the popular vote, despite losing the electoral count that decides the presidential race.

In Minnesota, a protest that began at the State Capitol Tuesday night with about 100 people swelled at is moved into downtown St. Paul, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Protesters blocked downtown streets and traveled west on University Avenue where they shouted expletives about Trump in English and Spanish.

In Des Moines, Iowa, hundreds of students walked out of area high schools at 10:30 a.m. to protest Trump's victory, the Des Moines Register reported. The protests, which were coordinated on social media, lasted 15 to 45 minutes.

In Dallas activists gathered by the dozens outside the city's sports arena, the American Airlines Center.

In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland, burned American flags and forced a delay for trains on two light-rail lines. Earlier, the protest in downtown drew several Trump supporters, who taunted the demonstrators with signs. A lone Trump supporter was chased across Pioneer Courthouse Square and hit in the back with a skateboard before others intervened.

In Oakland, CA, several thousand chanting, sign-waving people gathered in Frank Ogawa Plaza, once again smashing windows and harming public and private property like a night before.

In San Francisco, hundreds are marching along Market Avenue, one of the city's main avenues, to join a vigil in the Castro District, a predominantly gay neighborhood.

In Los Angeles, protesters on the steps of City Hall burned a giant papier mache Trump head in protest, later, in the streets they whacked a Trump piñata.

In Seattle, many held anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter signs and chanted slogans, including "Misogyny has to go," and "The people united, will never be defeated." Five people were shot and injured in an area near the protest, but police said the shootings and the demonstration were unrelated.

Courtesy of RT, we have the following assorted video footage of America's protests:

So this is now happening. pic.twitter.com/kfapVoNIB7 — William J. Upton (@wupton) November 10, 2016

Dufwin Theater front entrance smashed from protest riot #oakprotest pic.twitter.com/q48j3sFCBl — Chantelle Lee (@ChantelleHLee) November 10, 2016

More shattered windows of Oakland businesses due to #oakprotest pic.twitter.com/5J5LKyyB7t — Chantelle Lee (@ChantelleHLee) November 10, 2016

"Dont give in to racist fear, Muslims are welcome here"



all hope is not lost for America #TrumpProtest pic.twitter.com/EAxGC54gQo — azalea (@rosedhes) November 10, 2016

Protesters cheer as Alameda county sheriffs draw back from 14 and Broadway #oakprotest pic.twitter.com/H3HAFoNgWB — Aleah J-N (@ajn_dc) November 10, 2016

"Sí se puede" chant protesters at Alameda county sheriffs behind line of traffic cones #oakprotest pic.twitter.com/pM56KRBey1 — Aleah J-N (@ajn_dc) November 10, 2016

'Pepper balls' used to disperse anti-Trump protesters in downtown Omaha https://t.co/qRVBNFl9oy pic.twitter.com/v7A4dxidTU — KETV NewsWatch 7 (@KETV) November 10, 2016

Anti-Trump protestors in Kansas City are chanting, "Not my president." @KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/aJMjnAw68n — Emily Rittman KCTV5 (@EmilyRittman) November 10, 2016

Downtown St. Paul protest is latest sign of tensions in Minnesota following Trump victory https://t.co/ZMdBFiyYOo pic.twitter.com/FFAxgY6odO — Mark LaDoux (@mladoux) November 10, 2016

Protesters in center city burn a flag in #Antitrump rally @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/G5IToVAkfL — Justin Udo (@JustinUdo) November 10, 2016

Thousands of people line the streets of American cities to protest. Our voices will be heard. #TrumpProtest #NotMyPresident pic.twitter.com/kuyZduwN1u — Jordan (@jordansdiamonds) November 10, 2016

About 6,000 people gather in the Boston Common to express their frustrations with the election results. #Boston pic.twitter.com/ZeIOaLifNE — Javier Rodriguez (@WEBNtvRodriguez) November 10, 2016

#TrumpProtest we chant:"IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE." "MY BODY MY CHOICE YOUR BODY YOUR CHOICE" pic.twitter.com/jhZX1FqI0b — Jiajia Chen (@jollyjiajia) November 10, 2016

Cascadian flag & Mexican flag ("si se puede!") at Portland's #trumpprotest pic.twitter.com/ebVP5EYs6y — Taylor Hatmaker (@tayhatmaker) November 10, 2016

I hope every1 watching on the news/ social media is hearing us! We stand in solidarity at this peaceful protest #NOTOURPRESIDENT #LAPROTEST pic.twitter.com/gYr1twQKKs — Brittany Nini (@Nini27) November 10, 2016