Angry over Donald Trump’s election victory, thousands of protestors took to local streets for nearly nine hours Wednesday and into early Thursday in an intense show of opposition to the president-elect.

The Chicago demonstrations were among several held across the country, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Oakland, in the wake of Trump’s stunning defeat of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The drawn-out Chicago event – which drew as many as 2,000 people, according to police estimates – was relatively peaceful and devoid of any of the heavy vandalism or effigy burning that occurred elsewhere.

Additional protests have been planned for Thursday and Friday evening outside Trump Tower, the president-elect’s 98-story hotel and residence along the Chicago River.

Wednesday's protest began outside Trump Tower, the 98-story hotel and residence along the Chicago River, then quickly spread to lower Kinzie Street, where protestors blocked the entrance to the skyscraper’s parking garage.

Protesters at an anti-Trump rally chant, "Not my president," during a demonstration across the street from Trump Tower in Chicago. Nov. 9, 2016. (Nereida Moreno / Chicago Tribune) Protesters at an anti-Trump rally chant, "Not my president," during a demonstration across the street from Trump Tower in Chicago. Nov. 9, 2016. (Nereida Moreno / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago resident Audrey Lava, who is eight months pregnant, wiped away tears as she joined the protest outside the tower. She said she worries about the country her son will inherit following a vitriolic campaign in which Trump often demeaned immigrants, Latinos, Muslims, women and other minorities.

"I wanted to show my solidarity with people who are suffering," Lava said. "And I wanted to show the rest of the world that not everyone in this country supports a fascist."

Michael Burke, who lives in Edgewater, said he believes the president-elect will "divide the country and stir up hatred."

"I think it’s our constitutional duty to not to go quietly and accept that," he said. "The tower signifies everything that is ugly and boastful about this hateful man."

The tower-based protest transformed into a march after about two hours, as the demonstrators walked through the River North neighborhood and then up Michigan Avenue. Chants of "Not my president" and "No Trump, no KKK, no fascists USA" echoed off the downtown buildings, as some drivers honked their horns and leaned out their windows to raise fists of support.

"I want this to show that we’re still here, to show there are still good people in this country," said Emily Marlowe of Chicago. "We’ll be here every day if we have to."

After moving protestors away from the tower, which opened in 2009, police closed the Wabash Avenue bridge to prevent people from getting too close to the president-elect’s namesake building. Protestors pushed against the barricade at times threatening to overwhelm the authorities, who eventually kept them at bay with help from officers on horseback.

In two separate instances, smaller groups of protesters got on to Lake Shore Drive and blocked traffic.

While onlookers mostly cheered the protest, some mocked the participants or urged them to strike a more conciliatory tone. One woman tried to get the crowd to sing “Go Cubs Go” in an effort to restore the happy vibe that blanketed Chicago after the North Side club won the World Series last week. Not a single person joined in.

People protest Donald Trump and his election victory in downtown Chicago on Nov. 9, 2016. (Dawn Rhodes / Chicago Tribune) People protest Donald Trump and his election victory in downtown Chicago on Nov. 9, 2016. (Dawn Rhodes / Chicago Tribune)

"Build the Wall!" one Trump backer yelled at the protesters, referring to the former reality TV star’s promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Five people were arrested over the course of the protest. Two men were in custody for obstructing traffic, one for reckless conduct, and another for criminal trespass to land. In addition, a juvenile male was arrested and faces charges of criminal trespass and resisting arrest.

Indeed, police kept close tabs on the protest as some officers did little to hide their disdain for the protesters. One wore a large “Trump” button on his hat, while others traded taunts with the protesters.

“You know this is why Trump won,” Officer Jason Lenski said after one protester asked where his KKK hood was. “Because people are sick of liberals.”

The city does not yet have an estimate for how much it cost to deploy hundreds of officers to manage the protest.

Police initially allowed about a half-dozen Trump supporter to stand in front of the president-elect’s tower, while demonstrator s were corralled across the street. Anthony Moreira, of Berwyn, waved an American flag and shouted at the anti-Trump protesters to accept the results and go home.

“You're weak," he yelled. "That's why you lost."

Moreira said the protesters' grievances were baseless.

"Trump isn't a bigot," he said. "If you look behind the back doors you'll see blacks, Hispanics, Muslims and all kinds of people working for him."

Anti-Trump protesters gathered outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago on Nov. 9, 2016, following Donald Trump's presidential election. They marched and rallied for nearly nine hours into early Thursday.

The pro-Trump crowd also included Birgitt Peterson of Yorkville, who gained brief notoriety during the campaign when a Tribune photographer captured her giving a Nazi-like salute as she exited an aborted Trump rally in Chicago.

Waving a Trump sign and chanting "U-S-A," the German-born Peterson said she wanted to celebrate her candidate’s victory.

"We knew he was going to win," she said. "They need to accept it."

By 10 p.m. Wednesday, there were at least two large groups of protesters in the downtown area, one near Trump Tower and one marching through the South Loop.

A group made its way to lower Kinzie under Michigan Avenue, where some pulled down a small Trump Tower banner and appeared to stomp on it. From there, protesters marched up the Magnificent Mile and across to Lake Shore Drive, where marchers once again blocked traffic.

Once the group moved to Grand Avenue, a line of police officers with bicycles stood to block protesters from continuing south on Fairbanks.

"Look at these b----es," one marcher said, gesturing to the police.

"Oh, I'll show you a b---h," said one female officer in return.

The exchange prompted protesters to gather closer — some to confront the officer, and others attempting to pull their fellow demonstrators away.

The female officer was guided away by another officer. The protesters cheered and continued walking west on Grand Avenue.

"It was peaceful before this," one marcher cried out.

The crowd didn't dissipate until after 1 a.m., when the protests had continued for nearly nine hours. Two groups of marchers converged within view of Trump Tower, chanting with noticeably hoarser voices.