(CNN) Demonstrations against President-elect Donald Trump are erupting across the United States.

From New York to Atlanta to San Diego, thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The protests have been largely peaceful, but some have turned violent. In Portland, Oregon, police described one as a riot after vandals threw objects at officers and damaged cars.

Protesters are raising a range of concerns as they take to the streets. But they seem to be standing together on several key points.

Here are five things they're pushing for:

1. 'Dump Trump'

Many demonstrators have used "Dump Trump" as a rallying cry.

A protest Wednesday in downtown Seattle.

What does that mean exactly? It's a slogan that first gained traction as some Republicans pushed for the party to cut ties with Trump . But now that the election results are in, it's taking on a different meaning.

For some, it's a catchy way to sum up their rage about the President-elect. But others are taking things a step further, signing an online petition and writing letters to members of the Electoral College, asking them not to vote the way their states did at the polls.

Could that happen? The Internet rumor debunking website Snopes.com describes the prospect as "extremely, extremely unlikely," noting that it would be "wholly unprecedented in American history and would require a sudden and drastic change in the United States' political traditions."

The Electoral College itself has also become a focus for some protesters, since Clinton won the popular vote but lost the election

JUST WATCHED Clinton can win popular vote, Trump still wins election Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Clinton can win popular vote, Trump still wins election 02:14

2. Build bridges, not walls

Trump made immigration a focal point of his campaign, and it's a key issue for many protesters who are against Trump's vows to deport undocumented immigrants.

"I'm out here for my undocumented friends," protester Spencer Smith, 19, told CNN in Atlanta.

At protests in Miami, demonstrators held signs that said, "build bridges, not walls," taking aim at Trump's oft-touted plan to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

Is there any chance the wall plan could come off the table? Don't hold your breath, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, one of Trump's advisers on immigration, told CNN affiliate KWCH this week

"There's no question the wall is going to get built," Kobach said. "The only question is how quickly will it get done and who pays for it?"

Whether or not Trump heeds protesters' calls, building a wall along the border may be harder than it sounds

The fence that divides the US and Mexico in Naco, Arizona.

3. Making a statement

Some protesters say they know Trump will take the reins January 20, but they want to make it clear that they're not happy about the election results -- and they're not going to be quiet about it.

Protesters in Iowa this week had two main goals, said Rachel Walerstein, who attended protest in Iowa. First, they wanted to let people know that rhetoric-fueled violence against people of color, immigrants and LGBT people won't stand, she said.

"The second is to make a statement of political instability to render it difficult to govern, and in particular, to make it impossible for Trump to implement his policies in the first 100 days," she said. "For me, it's important to make these statements known and visible."

"It's mostly to raise awareness," said Dalina Aimée Perdomo, who also joined protests in Iowa City this week and said she felt angry and disappointed that her state had gone with conservative choices at the polls. "We gathered to share how we felt and how our families felt."

Trump has slammed protesters as "paid professionals," but later praised their passion on Twitter.

Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

4. Trump should denounce the divisive things he's said

"He needs to really address all the divisive, hateful things he's said in the past and recant them, denounce them," protester Nick Truesdale told CNN in New York on Friday.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal this week that he doesn't think his rhetoric on the campaign trail went too far. But he also said he wanted people to come together, according to the newspaper.

"I want a country that loves each other," he told the Journal this week. "I want to stress that."

Others have called for Trump to denounce an upcoming KKK parade scheduled to celebrate his victory in North Carolina.

Trump himself hasn't spoken out publicly about the event, but the North Carolina Republican Party condemned it

Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Nearly 1,000 students and faculty members at Rutgers University staged a rally in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey, to protest President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, November 16. At least 25 US cities have seen protests since Trump won the presidential election. Hide Caption 1 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Students hold signs in front of the Supreme Court in Washington during a protest on Tuesday, November 15. Hide Caption 2 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Activists use a banner to block traffic on Interstate 395 during an anti-Trump protest in Washington on Monday, November 14. Hide Caption 3 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Anti-Trump protesters in New York hung an upside-down American flag from the side of the Manhattan Bridge on November 14. Hide Caption 4 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Demonstrators distribute safety pins as a sign of solidarity against intolerance during a rally against Trump in New York on Saturday, November 12. Hide Caption 5 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Demonstrators march to Trump Tower in Chicago on November 12. Hide Caption 6 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election People protest Trump during a march in downtown Miami on Friday, November 11. Hide Caption 7 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Hundreds of Trump protesters hold a demonstration in New York's Washington Square Park on November 11. Hide Caption 8 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election A man walks by anti-Trump graffiti in downtown Oakland, California, on November 11. Thousands of protesters have wreaked havoc on the city during anti-Trump marches, causing vandalism, fires and destruction of property. Hide Caption 9 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election A protester kicks the window of a Bank of America branch in Portland, Oregon, on November 10. What started out as a peaceful march with more than 4,000 people quickly turned violent. Portland police publicly declared a "riot" because of "extensive criminal and dangerous behavior," according to posts on the department's Twitter page. Hide Caption 10 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Demonstrators flood the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles on November 10. Hide Caption 11 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Police officers stand guard as they slowly clear Trump protesters from the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles on November 10. Hide Caption 12 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Demonstrators protest in Denver on November 10. Hide Caption 13 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Police officers look on as someone protests in Portland on November 10. Hide Caption 14 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Trump protesters march toward Interstate 94 in Minneapolis on November 10. Hide Caption 15 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Numerous cars at a Toyota dealership were smashed as people protested in Portland on November 10. Hide Caption 16 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Trump protesters chant outside the White House on November 10. Hide Caption 17 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Protesters set an effigy of Trump on fire outside Los Angeles City Hall on Wednesday, November 9. Hide Caption 18 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Demonstrators march down Second Avenue in Seattle on November 9. Hide Caption 19 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Police respond to a fire set by anti-Trump protesters in Oakland, California, on November 9. Police said some protesters threw Molotov cocktails, rocks and fireworks at officers. Hide Caption 20 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Protesters in Chicago display anti-Trump signs near the Trump International Hotel and Tower on November 9. Hide Caption 21 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Trump protesters take to the streets in Philadelphia on November 9. Hide Caption 22 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Thousands march down Fifth Avenue in New York on November 9. Authorities estimated as many as 5,000 people protested Trump's victory outside Trump Tower. Hide Caption 23 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Protesters rally against Trump in New York's Union Square on November 9. Hide Caption 24 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Demonstrators march past Radio City Music Hall in New York on November 9. Hide Caption 25 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election People listen to speakers protesting Trump's election in Seattle on November 9. Hide Caption 26 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election A woman argues with police officers during a protest in New York on November 9. Erin Michelle Threlfall, the woman pictured, told The Huffington Post she was attempting to intervene on behalf of a man she says the police were beating. Hide Caption 27 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Sasha Savenko, left, and Sydney Kane join thousands of protesters in Seattle on November 9. Hide Caption 28 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Crowds rally outside Trump Tower in New York on November 9. Hide Caption 29 of 30 Photos: Anti-Trump protests after election Charles Watkins speaks out at an anti-Trump protest in Denver on November 9. Hide Caption 30 of 30

5. 'Not my president'

Across the country, protesters have been waving signs that say "not my president."

Protest near the Trump Tower on Wednesday in Chicago.

Organizers of a protest in Atlanta said their message is simple. "We do not respect the fact that Trump is president of the United States," they wrote on Facebook

"No to Trump and no to any future leaders who prey on our fear and lie to us plainly, be they dressed as friends or foes. No to a president that wants to ban all Muslims. No to a president who calls Mexicans rapists," the Facebook invite for an Atlanta protest says. "No to rape culture. No to a president that not so subtly romanticizes white supremacy and mourns its loss though we all know it has been alive and well. No to leaders who propagate the destruction of our environment."