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Protests Break Out Across U.S. Against Trump Inauguration

HeadlineJan 20, 2017

Hundreds of thousands of people have descended on Washington, D.C., either to support or to protest Donald Trump’s inauguration. Late Thursday night, police deployed pepper spray against activists protesting outside a pro-Trump ball called the “DeploraBall” at the National Press Club. Protesters held signs reading “No Alt Reich” and “No Nazi USA.” At least one person was arrested. Pro-Trump demonstrators have also arrived in Washington, including members of multiple biker gangs, including the group Bikers for Trump, whose members have vowed to serve as a “wall of meat” between protesters and Trump during the inauguration events. Up to 25,000 people also rallied against Donald Trump in New York City Thursday at a massive protest in front of Trump International Hotel and Tower, where filmmaker Michael Moore, actors Mark Ruffalo, Robert De Niro and Alec Baldwin all called for people to kick off “100 Days of Resistance.” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also spoke. This is protester Faiza Ali.

Faiza Ali: “We have to be ready to fight. We have to stand united. We must refuse to normalize bigotry and hate, which has been the incoming administration’s hallmark and rise to power. We must be ready to reject Trump’s fascist agenda and resist every appointment, every policy, every single proposal that institutionalizes Islamophobia or is a threat to our values.”

We’ll hear more voices from the New York City rally, including Michael Moore, after headlines. In California’s Bay Area, students and teachers participated in coordinated protests against Trump Thursday. Many more nationwide are preparing for protests today and tomorrow. In breaking news, people are currently locking down right now at a Black Lives Matter protest this morning here in Washington. Thousands are expected to participate in feminist, pro-black, pro-queer, pro-labor and anti-capitalist actions throughout the day. On Saturday, as many as 200,000 people are expected to participate in the Women’s March on Washington. This is Andrea Pritchett leading a Know Your Rights training in Berkeley, California, ahead of today’s protests.

Andrea Pritchett: “There’s a lot of stuff going on this weekend in San Francisco and Oakland. We want people to be prepared. You know, I’ve been doing Know Your Rights trainings for 27 years, and I’ve never seen a climate so hostile to our basic rights as described in the Bill of Rights. So it’s even more important now that we not only assert our rights, but remember what they are, remember what they’re supposed to be, you know, and not let them get whittled down and whittled away.”

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