LAFAYETTE — In Lafayette, the celebration over Democratic candidate Joe Biden's projected victory continues.
A dozen people gathered at Parc Putnam in downtown Lafayette Sunday night to celebrate the results of the presidential election.
Because of the rain, the evening was cut short, but those who came out say it was important to attend despite the weather.
"I'm out here to heave a sigh of relief at the end of the Trump presidency, really, and the election of Joe Biden," said James proctor, a supporter of Biden. "I think he's going to be a great, calmer and unifying figure, hopefully, for all of America, really.
Supporters of Biden say they hope he bridges gaps in society they say were widened by the Trump administration.
"It's time to talk to our family members again. It's time to talk to people in our neighborhood and our community, not as enemies," said Joe Paris, a Biden supporter. "We can be opponents without being enemies! So, we want to end the division, end that and bring more diversity on board."
These supporters are now hoping for civil discourse amid the political divide.
"We all have our own opinions. America is made of a diversity of people," said Biden supporter Sophie Nooijen. "We need to just come together. We need to stop, just sit and talk to each other, walk across the line and come to some kind of agreement because you can't solve anything yelling at each other."
Despite their support for Biden, the people at the celebration say they're grateful for one outcome of the Trump administration.
"When 2016 happened, a lot us didn't know what to do, but we decided to do something, and that's how we ended up all meeting each other and realizing there were a lot more of us out here than we thought," said Proctor.
