The daily protests that have sprung up against Donald Trump since his election as U.S. president continued Saturday across the country in blue, red and swing states alike.

Thousands of demonstrators marched to Trump Tower in New York City on Saturday afternoon with signs and chants including "Black lives matter" and "Not my president."

After protests on Wednesday, a cordon of heavy trucks loaded with sand was put in place to protect the Trump Tower apartment building, and demonstrators are still being kept a block away.

More demonstrations have been planned and organized on Facebook for Saturday throughout the country in places such as Kentucky, Michigan, Las Vegas and Seattle.

Demonstrators gather during a protest against the Demonstrators gather during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as president of the United States in Portland, Ore., Nov. 11, 2016. Demonstrators gather during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as president of the United States in Portland, Ore., Nov. 11, 2016.

Protests turned violent in the West Coast city of Portland, Oregon, early Saturday amid fears a Trump presidency will erode Americans' civil rights and trigger unrest.

Also Saturday, hundreds of Germans and U.S. citizens living in Germany gathered in Berlin near Brandenburg Gate and the U.S. Embassy to protest Trump's election, saying his policies would hurt civil and human rights.

Hundreds of protesters marched Friday through the streets of Portland, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Portland police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades on protesters in response to demonstrators throwing burning projectiles at officers. Authorities said vandalism and assault had taken place during the rally, which organizers had billed as a peaceful event earlier in the day.

One demonstrator was shot in the leg early Saturday, according to witnesses. It was not immediately clear who shot the protester.

But plans for another night of protests were already underway in Portland.

Protesters are surrounded by Los Angeles police be Protesters are surrounded by Los Angeles police before they were detained in Grand Park across Los Angeles City Hall after a march and rally against the election of Republican Donald Trump as president of the United States, Nov. 12, 2016. Protesters are surrounded by Los Angeles police before they were detained in Grand Park across Los Angeles City Hall after a march and rally against the election of Republican Donald Trump as president of the United States, Nov. 12, 2016.

Blocking freeways

Police down the coast in Los Angeles said Friday that they had detained 185 people, many of them for trying to blockade the city's crowded freeways.

In New York, hundreds of people gathered in Washington Square Park for a "love rally" late Friday, then set out for Manhattan's Union Square, a traditional destination for political marches, about a half mile (one kilometer) away. They held signs saying "Love will always trump hate" and chanted "Not my president" as they walked.

In Philadelphia, about 100 students from Temple University marched from their campus to City Hall to voice their concern that Trump would divide the country, not unite it.

Trump has responded to the protests with two notes on Twitter that sent a mixed message about his reaction. Late Thursday he complained that "professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"

Perhaps responding to those who thought his initial message was unpresidential or inappropriate, he tweeted Friday: "Love the fact that small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud."

The wave of protests began just hours after Trump's stunning upset victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was confirmed early Wednesday, and demonstrations have sprung up daily since then in more than a dozen U.S. cities.

'Immigrants welcome here!'

Demonstrators in all of these locations angrily recalled some of Trump's inflammatory and controversial comments during his campaign, about immigrants, Muslims and women. One of the slogans they have chanted is: "No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here."

Many of the protesters have said they intend to continue their rallies and demonstrations during the weeks ahead, even until the new president's inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on January 20.

IN PHOTOS: Trump Critics Continue Rallies Across US, Beyond

Meanwhile, reports also are emerging of racist incidents at a number of U.S. schools and universities, including chants of "white power," anti-black graffiti and in some cases physical clashes.

Since Trump's election, reports have shown an uptick in racist incidents and hate crimes across the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, documented more than 200 incidents of hateful harassment and intimidation in the three days after Election Day.