Donald Trump Inauguration: Protests Pile Up As America Prepares To Swear In 45th President


As US citizens hold their breath for Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday, protests continue to pile up not just in within America but also around the world, Al Jazeera reports.

Trump is just a few hours away from being officially sworn as the 45th president of the United States at an inauguration ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C., but protesters continue to gather by the millions, fully invested in their efforts to either support or oppose the business man’s policies once he assumes office.

Trump’s inauguration will occur at noon local time (5 pm GMT) on a 10,000 square foot platform specifically-built in front of the Capitol, which has the capacity to hold 1,600 people. His inaugural address will be addressed to thousands of people gathered in Washington as well as to the millions watching behind TV screens around the world.

President-elect Donald Trump and his family pose at the end of the inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial. [Image by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images]

If numerous estimates are any indication, the number of protests and demonstrations at Donald Trump’s inauguration will far exceed the ones recorded in the previous US presidential inaugurations.

Estimates show that around 900,000 people, both Trump supporters and protesters, are expected to turn up in Washington for Friday’s inauguration ceremony, as previously reported by Reuters. 30 protest permits have been granted in Washington alone, and sympathy protests have been organized in cities such as Los Angeles and Boston. Cities outside the US such as Sydney and London are reportedly organizing anti-Trump protests as well.

The night before Friday’s inauguration, thousands of protesters gathered in New York at the Trump International Hotel and Tower and then marched only a few blocks towards Trump’s residence.

The people who gathered in New York included many notable celebrities, activists, and politicians. Among them are Mayor Bill de Basio, actor Alec Baldwin, who portrayed his Donald Trump persona as seen on “Saturday Night Live,” Robert de Niro, Oscar-winning documentary director and political activist Michael Moore, and iconic singer Cher.

Moore urged those who have gathered in New York to take part in the “100 days of resistance” movement, which aims to resist Trump’s policies.

“As bad we think it’s going to be, it’s going to be worse. But the good news is there’s more of us than there are of them.”

“We’re all Muslim. We’re all Mexican. We’re all women. We’re all American. Yes, and we are all queer, too.”

Mayor de Blasio urged the people to use their voices for the sake of America’s future.

“Donald Trump may control Washington, but we control our destiny as Americans,” de Blasio said. “We don’t fear the future. We think the future is bright, if the people’s voices are heard.”

On Thursday night, a group comprised of hundreds of protesters had a physical altercation with police wearing riot gear, as seen in some footage shared on social media.

The confrontation occurred just outside the National Press Club building, where a pro-Trump event called “DeploraBall” was being held.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said that the police was aiming to keep the groups separated, using similar tactics used during last year’s political conventions.

“The concern is some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space,” Johnson told MSNBC.

A security cordon consisting of 28,000 security personnel, miles of fencing, roadblocks, street barricades, and dump trucks laden with sand have been set up around three square miles of central Washington.

The Anti-Trump protests building up towards Donald Trump’s inauguration will culminate in the Women’s March in Washington on Sunday.

The Women’s March is said to be a nonpartisan movement where people “stand together in solidarity without partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families — recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country,” as reported by ABC News.

One of the most dominant criticisms against Donald Trump is his long history of misogyny and oppression against women, which became even more pronounced when a footage of him bragging about grabbing women by the p**sy was leaked to the media.

[Featured Images by Alastair Grant/Getty Images]

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