Immigrants rally outside Donald Trump's Nashville speech

Hundreds of rain-soaked demonstrators, some with children on their shoulders, marched down Fourth Avenue South Saturday to advocate for undocumented immigrants while Donald Trump used violent imagery to characterize them as dangerous during an event at Rocketown.

While Trump addressed "anchor babies" and building a wall at the Mexican border, rally leaders beat on bucket drums while the crowd circled the building chanting, "Who are we? Tennessee" and "Racism has got to go."

The rally was organized by a coalition of social justice groups led by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Workers' Dignity. Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of TIRRC, said about 400 people attended.

While Teatro insisted the rally was aimed at combating the "ugly turn in the conversation about immigrants" for many of the presidential candidates, not just Trump, some of the demonstrators' signs specifically targeted him.

"In God we trust," one sign read, "Trump is a disgust."

Teatro said the coalition will continue to lead rallies throughout the election cycle.

"It's not just a today thing, it's an every day thing," said demonstrator Zacnite Vargas, who said she was an undocumented immigrant.

Vargas, a 19-year-old student at Trevecca Nazarene University, said she came to Nashville from Mexico with her parents when she was 3. Although federal regulations allow her to work and pay taxes here, there is not a path to full citizenship for her.

"I consider myself a citizen even though I am undocumented," she said. "Until that gets addressed I'm going to be out here."

Metro police briefly blocked traffic downtown as demonstrators marched to and from Rocketown.

At a few points in the 90-minute rally, demonstrators came face-to-face with Trump supporters who were leaving the venue. Some Trump supporters snapped photos on their smartphones while others followed along and started their own chants. But there were no significant confrontations and the rally remained noisy but peaceful.

Reach Adam Tamburin at 615-726-5986 and on Twitter @tamburintweets.