While Donald Trump was preparing to take the oath of office as our 45th president on Friday afternoon, protests and chaos were erupting throughout the city.
Police had to use pepper spray to try and dismantle some violence occurring just blocks from the new president’s inauguration, reports ABC News.
The protests began peacefully, with protestors holding up signs reading, “Resist Trump Climate Justice Now,” “Let Freedom Ring,” and “Free Palestine” at security checkpoints near the Capitol, according to ABC News. Some people had “Not My President” signs, according to NBC News.
The protests turned violent when a group of about 100 protestors began marching through the streets of Washington D.C. smashing bus stop windows, smashing the windows of downtown businesses, knocking news boxes over, and spray-painting buildings, according to The Washington Post. A limousine also had its windows bashed in during the riot.
Teargas, cops in riot foot and protesters breaking windows. pic.twitter.com/WiSo92Qo3L
— Patrick Madden (@Patrick_Madden) January 20, 2017
Helmeted police chased the group of protestors with batons and deployed pepper spray to break them up about an hour before Trump was sworn in as president.
Most of the protests were not at all violent, but they were disruptive. One group of Black Lives Matter protesters chained themselves together in front of an inauguration entrance, blocking it off to the point where people had to use other entrances, according to the Post.
Now Trump has officially been sworn in—but the demonstrations are far from over. The Women’s March on Washington is set to take place on Saturday, and 1,800 buses have reportedly registered to park in Washington D.C. that day, according to ABC News. This could mean that there are about 100,000 protestors coming into the city – and that just includes those traveling by bus. There are also more than 600 sister marches happening around the world, according to the Women’s March website. Trump may be president, but that doesn’t mean anyone is backing down.