Thousands of demonstrators take to Washington to protest against Trump ahead of his inauguration
Thousands of protesters have rallied against Trump prior to his inauguration. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Thousands of demonstrators have taken to Washington DC to protest against Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration.
Both President-Elect Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance will be sworn in on Inauguration Day, which will take place today (20 January). Before the inauguration, the masses participated in The People’s March (previously known as the Women’s March) on Saturday (18 January). The march has occurred every year since 2017.
Various groups organised the rally with differing aims, from “bodily autonomy, gender justice and LGBTGIA issues” to “Democracy, Immigration, Anti Militarism, and Climate” and “Police Brutality, Mass Incarceration and colonization”, as per its website. Smaller rallies against Trump’s inauguration also took place in New York City and Seattle.
The protesters took to three different parks before embarking on the Lincoln Memorial to protest. The protests occurred at the same time as Trump’s arrival at the US capital ahead of his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
He kicked off his pre-inauguration celebration at a private event at his golf club in the Virginia suburbs, where a fireworks display took place later that day. On January 20, 2025, Trump will take the oath of office at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., marking the official start of his second term as president.
Many LGBTQ+ Americans have reacted to Trump’s win with utter dismay, with some even apparently considering emigrating as a result. Queer people are deeply concerned about the attacks on their rights that Trump has threatened to enact.
The last Trump presidency led to a roll-back of protections and anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ+ people, and it doesn’t look as if a second term would be any different if he is re-elected, based on campaign promises and the detailed policy proposals outlined in Project 2025 – although Trump has tried to distance himself from the right-wing proposals.
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