WARNING: Strong language

FLAGS are burning and effigies of President-elect Donald Trump are hanging in the streets as Americans come to grips with their new leader.

For the second night in a row, Americans on both coasts — in states traditionally held by Democrats — thousands of protesters have taken to the streets. There’s a common theme: “Not our president”.

Some protests have been going for more than four hours, and tear gas was launched against protesters rallying in Oakland, California on Wednesday night (local time).

Footage showed fires built in the middle of the roads with riot police trying to disperse crowds about 9.30pm.

According to reports from NBC Bay Area, police declared the rally, which attracted at least 6,000 people, an unlawful assembly, and dispersed gas to clear the streets.

Footage posted on Instagram shows smoke, and a loud bang.

“That loud noise and smoke cloud is OPD (Oakland Police Department) pepper spraying everyone this is crazy,” the uploader wrote.

Protesters also shut down a freeway in Los Angeles.

Thousands protested on Wednesday night but by 10.15pm (local time) a few hundred people had marched onto the northbound 101 Freeway, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Police started arresting protesters just before 11pm.

Riot police were also called in to deal with protesters in Denver, Colorado. Facebook Live footage showed many protesters gathering around a large fire in the middle of a road about 10pm (local time).

Another event in Seattle, Washington is believed to have drawn more than 6000 people.

Police in riot gear attempted to hold back thousands of protesters as they reached the University of Washington campus.

Chants of “not my president” rang out and many carried signs that said “Fight Racism” and “Impeach Drumpy.” One protester held an upside down American flag, reported NBC, who believed it symbolised the chaos a Trump presidency would bring to the country.

As well as Seattle and Oakland, there’s anger on the streets of Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Washington DC, Chicago and Portland. The list goes on.

If authorities thought scenes would return to normal after Tuesday’s protests, night two appears to be a ramping up the chaos..

Trump Towers in New York City and Chicago have become a meeting points for vocal, visual displays of disobedience. Their entrances have been blocked off completely.

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

Awful. Protestors hanging Trump effigies in New York tonight. If they were Trump supporters, imagine the outrage? pic.twitter.com/Y7yN1iyKqM — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 10, 2016

Huge anti Trump protest outside Trump Towers in NYC shouting 'not my president ' #trumpprotest #abcnews pic.twitter.com/iNNho9oPgx — Phil Williams (@PhilWilliamsABC) November 10, 2016

Flag burning in front of Trump Tower. Man in ski mask saying we elected a "vile fascist " pic.twitter.com/HaNlaC1vy0 — Tom McKay ☭ (@thetomzone) November 10, 2016

Videos posted to social media under the hashtag #NotOurPresident show chaotic scenes as police try to quell the uprising.

“No Trump”, “No KKK”, “No Fascists USA” are among popular chants, the Chicago Tribune reports.

In New York City, protesters gathered in Union Square holding signs saying “Love Trumps Hate” and “Trump Grabbed America by the Pussy!” before marching uptown in the thousands to chant in front to Trump Tower.

Outside the White House in Washington DC, hundreds of protesters gathered for a mostly peaceful scene but police were on hand should it turn ugly. There were reports an anti-Trump protester had his ear bitten by a rival supporter. Pictures show a man with blood on his ear and neck.

A demonstrator burned a Trump baseball cap and others held placards reading “Stand Against Anti-Muslim Bigotry!”

Protesters criticised what they called Trump’s racism, sexism and xenophobia, and carrying signs reading “We have a voice!” and “Education for all!”

One of the organisers, Ben Wikler — Washington director of the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org — told the crowd that others were coming together in hundreds of communities around the country.

“People are justly frightened,” he said.

BREAKING: anti-trump protester has just bitten the ear of a #Trump supporter pic.twitter.com/ny30xiwOlF — Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 9, 2016

“We are here because in these darkest moments we are not alone,” he added before leading chants of “We are not alone!”.

Ethan Miller of the workers’ rights group Jobs with Justice said organisers held the vigil to show that civil society was resilient.

“It’s a hard time for a lot of Americans,” he told AFP. “We saw a campaign that was filled with racism and misogyny and whole host of other terrible tactics that ultimately were successful for winning the electoral college.

“But we’re not going to let a Donald Trump presidency stop the progress in this country,” he added. “We’re going to continue to organise and fight for the rights of all people and to protect the safety of our brothers and sisters.”

Supporters attending the rally appeared less optimistic.

Joanne Paradis, 31, who was born in Mexico and works in international communications for a non-profit group in Washington, said she attended the rally to “share some solidarity.”

“I feel pretty down,” she said. Asked if the country could weather a Trump presidency, she said, “I don’t know.” “But we have to acknowledge what happened to deal with it, to face it and talk about it and be honest about it.”

“I just came here to mourn,” said Chris Hassan, 28, who works for a civil society group.

In California, it’s officially ugly already, despite the Not Our President protests being positioned as peaceful. Organisers are asking demonstrators to wear black, bring flags and posters and display restraint. “No violence” is a common request. But it often ends in violence.

Windows were smashed around the city and as the clean-up was completed on Wednesday morning, the protests kicked off all over again.

Another 500 students gathered at the university’s San Diego campus, while demonstrations were also reported in downtown Los Angeles, with people yelling “Who’s got the power? We got the power,” the LA Times reports.

A female demonstrator was struck by a car when she strayed onto a busy road in Oakland.

Elsewhere in Oakland, protesters lit fires in the street and stood around them chanting, news reports said. Some threw bottles and firecrackers at police, KPIX TV reported.

Further north, Portland journalist Mike Bivins shared a video showing a flag being burned as a crowd cheered and clapped. Other videos showed students yelling “F**k Trump”, smashing news stands and setting fire to rubbish bins.

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. At one point, a lone Trump supporter was chased across Pioneer Courthouse Square and hit in the back with a skateboard before others intervened.

At Berkeley High School, also in California, 1500 students walked out of class before first period on Wednesday. The LA Times reported students chanted anti-Trump slogans and took to Twitter to contribute to the #NotMyPresident hashtag.

AP reports #NotMyPresident has been used more than half a million times.

In Oakland, an effigy of Donald Trump was also burned.

In Pennsylvania, hundreds of University of Pittsburgh students marched through the streets, with some in the crowd calling for unity.

The student-run campus newspaper, the Pitt News, tweeted about an event titled “Emergency Meeting: Let’s Unite to Stop President Trump.” In Seattle, about 100 protesters gathered in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood, blocked roads and set a trash bin on fire.

Videos from Boston and New York show protests well under way and building.

A woman was struck by a car and severely injured when protesters got onto a highway, the California Highway Patrol said. Demonstrators vandalised the driver’s SUV before officers intervened. The highway was closed for about 20 minutes.

Donald Trump’s shock victory after a bitterly divisive campaign defied polls and political pundits.

Mr Trump struck a conciliatory tone in his first speech, saying the country needed to unify following the vote.

“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans and this is so important to me,” he said.

“For those who have chosen not to support me ... I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.

“Ours was not a campaign but rather an incredible and great movement made of millions of hard working men and women. It’s a movement comprised of Americans from all races, religions, backgrounds and beliefs who want our government to serve the people.”

Daily Bruin reporter Tanner Walters said “thousands” had been sent to the streets in Westwood, California.

Earlier it was reported the Los Angeles Police Department were preparing for “riot mode” in certain neighbourhoods in the event of a Trump win.

“The polite thing to say is that this is not unusual, but this has been a very unusual election,” a police source toldDeadline. “We are ready to go into riot mode if required, if the order comes.”

Mr Trump’s win has inspired a wave of congratulations from far-right leaders around the world including France’s Marine Le Pen and Holland’s Geer Wilders.

Former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage also congratulated the Republican leader after becoming a regular feature on his campaign following the Brexit result.

Russian President Vladmir Putin said he hopes the two countries can work to “restore” their relationship from its lowest point since the Cold War.

However it has also energised nationalistic and anti-immigrant groups leading to clashes following the vote. Outside Trump headquarters in Manhattan rival groups changed “Black lives matter” and “All lives matter” at one another.

Protesters clashed with police after chanting “Donald Trump has got to go” as the Republican nominee was confirmed as President.

Here comes counter protest in full force clashing now w/ Trump supporters. 53rd & 6th ave. #ElectionNight #nycvotes pic.twitter.com/fNcLFGKUIH — Brendan Krisel (@Brendan_Krisel) November 9, 2016

— with AP