ANN ARBOR, MI - A rally and march that began with a surprise appearance by the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the University of Michigan Diag accumulated thousands of students as the crowd marched through Central Campus on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

During the walkout and rally, which was organized by U-M's Students4Justice, students left their classes simultaneously at 3 p.m. as part of a national movement in the wake of the 2016 election, before convening in the Diag.

Jackson, who was honored by U-M on Wednesday for 50 years of activism, got the crowd fired up as they slowly arrived at the Diag, then they picked up steam. New participants joined inside the Hatcher Graduate Library, the Chemistry Building, Shapiro Library, the School of Social Work and Ross School of Business, ending the march with speakers talking about issues like race, immigration and the vote by U-M Central Student Government against divesting in businesses from Israel on the steps of Angell Hall.

"Do not let any election suppress your dream to make this land a better land," Jackson told students. "Red, yellow, black and white, we're all precious in God's sight. We're not going backward. We've learned to survive apart, we must now learn to live together."

Jackson spoke out against the electoral college, the "alt-right" and the Ku Klux Klan, leading several chants urging students to learn to live together and remain strong in the face of hatred and acts of intimidation. He specifically mentioned a recent incident in which a man told a U-M student to remove her hijab or he'd set her on fire with a lighter in downtown Ann Arbor. The incident is being investigated by the Ann Arbor police.

"Let's all say no to violence," he said. "Snatching a hijab off a young lady's head is mean spirited. We will not submit to anti-Islam."

Students chanted emotionally through halls filled with students. At one point, students looked on through every opening inside the Ross School of Business as protesters provided testimonies about the challenges of being people of color on the U-M campus.

"If you are with us; join us!" the protesters shouted to observers inside the hall, while others danced on top of tables.

Once the march reached South State Street near South University Avenue, students linked arms, blocking traffic in both directions, and causing a traffic backup as they surrounded a pair of vehicles. Ann Arbor police arrived shortly thereafter and eventually moved the students to Angell Hall, where the march concluded.

Students4Justice hosted the event to "hold President Schlissel and our Regents at the University of Michigan accountable for their claims of valuing diversity and student safety and well-being," according to the group's Facebook page.

Students4Justice, an independent student group formed following the discovery of racist flyers on the U-M campus in late September, also listed seven demands for the university in its walkout.

Some of the demands included: "Re-channeling its resources and money to its basest requirement: to protect its students," providing a "place of sanctuary for undocumented students and their families, and must welcome Muslim immigrants," and demands that U-M must issue an "official statement detailing its dedication to the protection of, specifically, its students of color."

"We are in the minority when we are alone," U-M Political Science student Isaiah Land said. "When we are together, we are unstoppable."

Maria Ibarra-Frayre, a second-year master's student in the School of Social Work, shared her experiences about attending U-M as an undocumented immigrant.

Ibarra-Frayre explained that she currently has deferred action status which protects her to live in the United States for two more years, with uncertainty in her future after that.

"That means that my master's degree is not going to be of use," she said on the steps of Angell Hall. "I'm sick of trying to convince people, especially white people, that this is an injustice. Most of all, I'm tired of being afraid of trying to explain myself to other people. That's why I'm calling on all undocumented students to be here for each other and to keep each other safe."

U-M graduate student Samantha Cooley, who spoke outside Angell Hall, said the rally brought her a great deal of satisfaction after a contentious election.

"I think tonight we broke down the biggest wall, which is our ability to love each other," she said. "I think a lot of the time, we're blocked by walls of why. Why should I care about Black Lives Matter if I'm not black? Why should I care about Muslims if I'm not Muslim? Why should I care about LGBTQ rights if I'm not LGBTQ?

"We should not allow ourselves to be separated by these walls of why any longer," she added. "We must love each other and support each other. Tonight, my belief in Michigan has been renewed, because after the election I was down. Seeing these beautiful faces of every color and every race and every orientation, my hope in our future is renewed."