Protesters take to streets as Trumps becomes president

Madonna performs at the Women's March in Washington US, January 21, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

As Donald Trump was sworn in on Friday as the 45th president of the United States, thousands of protesters with various agendas lined the main streets of Washington along with Trump supporters.

Along Pennsylvania Avenue, where the inaugural parade was to take place, people from across the country waited for Trump's arrival after he finished his inauguration speech and attended a luncheon with members of Congress and others at the Capitol.

Matthew Berning, who came to Washington from Florida with his parents, said Trump's inauguration speech was "very impassioned", but "it didn't provide very many specifics". "When you say you will make America wealthy again, make America great again, you are providing very nice words, but they are basically platitudes, you don't provide a specific set of goals to achieve," said Berning, who said he voted for Gary Johnson, the Independent presidential candidate.

"I think that it's a little bit soon to be assuming that he will actually be able to achieve these ends within his first four years. It is a very high objective to go for," he said.

Berning's mother Carol, who is Trump supporter, said: "We can only hope that he's able to accomplish what the people who voted for him want, that's less taxes so that they bring money back to their holding."

"It (the border) is so poor that something has to be done. Trump is a builder, he is a developer, he will get it (the wall) done: keep legal immigrants coming in and illegal ones out," she said.

Corinne Goldsmith, who was originally from New York and has lived in Washington for more than 20 years, said Trump is not "my president".

"He's against all types of people who are not like him. When I came to Barack Obama's two inaugurations, it was packed, full of people, people who didn't hate each other. But if you look here, there are more protesters than the supporters," said Goldsmith.

"I don't know what's going to happen with America. I think he's all about business for himself. All he does is put people who are not like him down. I don't see where the unity would ever be. I'll not put president with his name in the same sentence," she said.

New York

Though there was no official protest at Trump Tower on the morning of the inauguration, there was heavy police presence as people walked up and down the block opposite Donald Trump's residence holding protest signs.

The New York Police Department insisted that people, aside from media who were credentialed, not stand in place and repeatedly reprimanded those who stopped to chat with each other or with reporters. Several pro-Trump supporters also milled around on the block to make their presence known, though they were outnumbered by those who were anti-Trump.

Dana Fuchs, an actor and New Yorker from Long Island, said: ""I'm just sad. That's all you can say. I'm focused on possibly running for office, which I never thought I'd say I would do, or just figuring out to create the change that I can participate in. I give Trump that credit, because I never would have [thought about it otherwise]. He awoken that in me. If he can get elected, I'm good."

"I'm worried about the environment and healthcare. You say you want to get rid of Obamacare? How could you not have a plan? I would have been working on that five years ago. Now we're just supposed to trust you? This whole election was [run on] lack of trust," he said.

San Francisco

On Friday morning, hundreds of people took to the street of San Francisco to protest Donald Trump's inauguration. The organizers - Jobs with Justice - San Francisco and Bay Rising - said on the event's website:

"Donald Trump's inauguration begins a presidential term marked by outright xenophobia, bigotry, sexism, corporate giveaways and hate-fueled policies. We must reclaim our democracy, and show the nation how the Bay Area stands together to defend our communities and fight for justice."

The protesters started from the Justin Herman Plaza and marched to Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Peter Thiel, ICE, and other corporations that are believed to support Trump. At Wells Fargo History Museum on Montgomery Street, hundreds of people rallied, chanting slogans and holding banners and signs with messages like "Saving healthcare, public education and environmental protections" and "Stop hate and deportations".

At the Consulate General of Israel, next to the Wells Fargo building, some people inside put signs on the window, which read "Love trumps hate" and "Not my president".

Faryn Borella was an organizer of the rally at the Israeli consulate.

"We are here to say that militarized policing has been going on in the US and will continue under Trump's presidency," she said. " It's not in our best interests as Jews and not in the best interests in anyone. No one will be free until we are all free.'

"We ask for an end to the occupation and an end to the urban shield with weapon demonstrations and training here in the Bay Area that train responders to use violence as their first line of defense," she said.