The Washington Post reported in January 2018 that since Trump was inaugurated there has been a protest every day somewhere in the United States. Protesters demonstrating after
Trump's inauguration have sought to "bring unprecedented disruption to his life as president", with protests following where Trump travels. Protesters have sought to interrupt "people's business as usual" in order to force others to think about the impact of Trump's policies on the country, according to activist
Cat Brooks in San Francisco. A
sociology professor at
University of California, Irvine, David Meyer, said that while it is not unusual to have protests after a new president, "What is unusual is the vigor, speed, size, and number of issues that they are challenging Trump on. To have a sustained [protest], every weekend, every couple of days, and it's a different issueI've never seen anything like this before." Michael Heaney, an author and
University of Michigan professor, said in February 2017, that the protests were nowhere near the saturation rate and added, "If anything, it's just getting started." Some protests have been "highly coordinated" by grassroots organizers, like the resistance campaign that has been growing in
California. In some of these cities, like
Mason City, Iowa, a majority voted for Trump. Many of the protests have been organized via social media. Many protesters have been calling the anti-Trump movement "
the resistance." In addition, many participants have been first-time protesters. Protesters have become involved with organizing groups at a local level, such as
Indivisible and SwingLeft. For many, their involvement in protest has become a part of their lives.
The Washington Post reported in January 2018 that the "overwhelming majority" of protests have been non-violent. Musicians such as
Katy Perry,
Rihanna,
Bruce Springsteen,
Joan Baez and
Tom Morello, have voiced support for the protests. Reasons for people protesting are diverse and many protesters care about multiple issues. Protests are taking place at
town hall meetings, where constituents are urging their senators and representatives to oppose some of the policies of the Trump administration or to investigate possible Trump ties to Russia. Some GOP politicians have welcomed the protests, while others have avoided having town halls during the first
Congressional recess in 2017. Representative
Leonard Lance said he had never faced such a large town hall before after attending a recent one in February 2017. Conservatives, like former
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, have dismissed the protesters as "petulant children stomping their feet with these child-like nursery rhyme slogans."
Official reaction Both Trump and his administration addressed the protests either officially or via social media. Trump's reaction to the Women's March via Twitter in January 2017 were contradictory with one tweet dismissing protesters and a later tweet praising protest as "a hallmark of our democracy." Trump was also dismissive of a rally hosted by
Democrats outside of the
Supreme Court against
Executive Order 13769. Trump tweeted, "
Nancy Pelosi and Fake Tears Chuck Schumer held a rally at the steps of the Supreme Court and mic did not work (a mess)-just like Dem party!" On February 21, 2017, Trump tweeted that town hall protests were "planned out by liberal activists. Sad!"
Sean Spicer, on February 22, 2017, blamed recent town hall protests on "professional protesters." This reaction is similar to the one from the
Obama administration towards
Tea Party protests in 2009. After the
United Talent Agency (UTA) hosted an anti-Trump rally called
United Voices, instead of their normal Oscars party, Trump went on Twitter and urged "the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" to have their own rally. Trump supporters have attended rallies at official events, but none have created events in sizes "comparable in scale to those of his opponents." He claimed that Obama was involved in protest organization behind the scenes. Trump claimed that Obama was behind the protests "because his people certainly are behind it." There is no evidence linking a nonprofit group that advocates for similar positions to Obama,
Organizing for Action, and the former president.
Rogue Twitter accounts Following the election of Trump as the 45th president of the United States, a Resist movement began for those in opposition to his presidency. Dozens of accounts purporting to be government agencies and departments took to Twitter to anonymously voice their opposition using accounts that are typically prefixed with either Rogue or Alt; none of these accounts have come forward and identified themselves. Alice Stollmeyer, a digital advocacy strategist from Brussels with a background in science and communications, dubbed this Twitter resistance movement "#twistance". It is thought that the staff of
Badlands National Park were the first to create a "rogue account", which was created in opposition to Trump's assertion that
climate change was not real.
Presidential inauguration A large number of protests were planned in connection with the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20, 2017. Security preparation for Trump's inauguration gathered nearly 28,000 security personnel to participate in Washington, D.C. The vast majority of protesters, several thousand in all, were peaceful; however, many violent acts, such as property destruction, occurred.
DisruptJ20 protesters linked arms at security checkpoints and attempted to shut them down. Some elements of the protesters were
black bloc groups and self-described
anarchists, and engaged in sporadic acts of vandalism,
rioting, and violence.
Washington, D.C. On the eve of the inauguration, January 19, protesters gathered outside the
National Press Building in Washington D.C. where the
DeploraBall was held. Several protesters threw debris at attendees, hitting one man in the head. Police responded with teargas and pepper spray scattering the crowd. On the day of the Inauguration, January 20, a group of around 100 protesters smashed windows of businesses in downtown Washington and tipped over garbage cans. The protesters also blocked entryways to the event and chained themselves to barricades, attempting with little success to prevent Trump supporters from gathering near the inaugural parade route. with masked protesters throwing rocks and chunks of concrete at police. Police in riot gear responded with tear gas, pepper spray, flash grenades, and other crowd dispersing tools. Violent protests continued late into the afternoon near Pennsylvania Avenue. A limousine was tagged with graffiti, its windows were shattered, and it was later set on fire. The fire spread to a
Fox News crew SUV which was parked behind the limo. A total of 230 people were arrested, and of those, 217 were charged at the federal level with felony rioting, which, if convicted, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (~$ in ). Six officers suffered minor injuries. On July 6, 2018, it was reported that 21 defendants pled guilty, including one to felony offenses, in connection to the riots and damages. From January to July 2018, about 169 individuals had the charges against them dismissed.
California On the morning of January 20, 2017, anti-Trump protesters blocked the headquarters of
Uber in
San Francisco because the CEO of the company has been seen as a "collaborator" with Trump. Around 16 people were arrested in the demonstration which created human chains to block the offices. Demonstrators rallied outside of
Los Angeles City Hall.
LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner Artists
LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner started
live-streaming a planned four-year protest, titled
HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US, at 9 a.m. on the morning of the inauguration on January 20. Participants were invited to deliver the words "He will not divide us" into a camera mounted to a wall "as many times, and for as long as they wish", in what the artists described as "a show of resistance or insistence, opposition or optimism, guided by the spirit of each individual participant and the community." The footage was broadcast on a 24/7 feed, which the artists announced would run for four years, or the duration of Trump's presidency. The installation became especially contentious after people started yelling "
1488" to the camera and because of increased "
loitering" in the area around the museum, with the museum receiving threats of violence.
Women's March participating in the Women's March on Washington The
Women's March on Washington was a January 21, 2017, protest in Washington, D.C., which attracted about 597,000 people to Independence Ave & Third St. to protest Donald Trump's first full day in office. Simultaneous protests drew large crowds across all 50 US states, and on six continents. There was an estimated 3.3 to 4.6 million people involved in the march across the country, making it the largest protest in United States history. Professor
Erica Chenoweth contends that the Women's March shows signs of the beginning of a successful movement. Nelini Stamp, a director in the
Working Families Party has also seen the protests taking place after the inauguration as the creation of a "national protest movement."
Airports Thousands of protesters showed up at the
John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017, to protest the detainment of
refugees and visitors from countries blocked by Trump's
Executive Order 13769. The protest prompted dozens of further
protests at airports across the nation and other locations.
Bodega closures On February 2,
Yemeni business owners in New York City closed their stores and
bodegas simultaneously between noon and 8pm. More than 1,000 businesses participated in the strike. The closures were in protest of the travel ban or
executive order 13769. Later, at
Brooklyn Borough Hall, there was a peaceful demonstration and at 5:15 pm, Muslims at the rally conducted a large
Maghrib prayer on the steps of Borough Hall. In New York City, thousands from the LGBTQ community gathered at the historic
Stonewall Inn in a show of solidarity with immigrant communities and those affected by Trump's travel ban. Thousands of people in
San Francisco participated in a peaceful protest against Trump taking place outside
San Francisco City Hall. Protests also took place in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. In Canada, thousands gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Toronto to protest against Islamophobia and Trump's ban. Thousands of U.K. citizens also took to the streets in protest of the travel ban and
Theresa May's invitation to Trump for a state visit.
Weekend of February 11, 2017 Protests occurred internationally on February 11 and 12, 2017. On
Ocean Beach in San Francisco, on February 11, thousands joined together to spell "RESIST !!" The words could be read from the sky and an estimated 4,600 to 5,600 people were involved. In
Edinburgh, a large protest against Trump took place and was organized by the group, Scotland Against Trump. Thousands attended the Scotland protest, which also included speeches and was peaceful in nature. In
Prague, many United States
expatriates and Czech citizens marched in through the city center on February 11. In North Carolina, a "Moral March on Raleigh" took place on February 11, and was led by the North Carolina
NAACP in support of LGBT rights and against Trump. Protests across Mexico took place in 18 cities on February 12. The Mexican protests were not against Americans, but against Trump's policies, with some protests also criticising the Mexican government. In Mexico City, two groups organized the protests, Vibra México and Mexicanos Unidos. Protesters were against the treatment of immigrants by the Trump administration and many were against the proposed border wall.
Day Without Immigrants 2017 protesters in Washington, D.C. A protest and
boycott took place on February 16, 2017, to support
immigration, and to protest President
Donald Trump's plans to build a
border wall and to potentially deport millions of
illegal immigrants. The strike called for immigrants not to go to work, to avoid spending money, and keep children home from school.
Resist Trump Tuesdays Protesters have organized demonstrations, rallies and other activities nationwide. These Tuesday protests took place during Trump's first 100 days.
Not My Presidents Day demonstrators en route to the
White House, Washington, D.C.
Not My Presidents Day was a series of anti-Trump protests organized throughout the United States on February 20, 2017, coinciding with
Washington's Birthday, the American federal holiday also known as Presidents' Day. Organizers of the protest said that while Trump was literally the president, they wanted to show that he did not represent their values. Organizers also said they chose to rally on President's Day in order to honor presidents of the past by exercising their right to assemble and protest peacefully.
United Voices Rally The
United Talent Agency (UTA) cancelled its normal annual
Oscars party and hosted a "Voices United" rally on February 24, 2017, which drew around 2,000 people.
Jodie Foster,
Michael J. Fox,
Wilmer Valderrama and
Keegan-Michael Key were featured speakers. Other speakers included California Lieutenant Governor,
Gavin Newsom, the CEO of UTA, Jeremy Zimmer and
Reza Aslan. The rally condemned the travel ban, the Trump administration's immigration and health reforms and called the political climate one of "fanaticism and nationalism." The rally helped raise $320,000 for the ACLU and the
International Rescue Committee. Protests were much smaller than the January 21 demonstrations, with the organization of the protests criticized for potentially revealing a "gap between white, privileged women and minority, lower-paid women, who may not be able to afford a day off from work and could lose their jobs". Some Americans have said they
will not pay their federal
income taxes in protest of Trump's administration.
March for Science The
March for Science occurred on
Earth Day, April 22, 2017. The protest was based upon support for and the funding of science, diversity, and governmental policies based upon science. The march was also based upon opposition to the Trump administration's "... plans to delete climate change data and gag scientists", and the administration's
climate change denial. Organizers have said they have significant concerns about the Trump administration's views regarding
climate change and
energy policy, among other matters. Thousands turned out for demonstrations held in numerous cities throughout the US, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. Protesters against
deportation also held a sit-in at the office of Texas governor
Greg Abbott, and blocked the driveway of the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Francisco. Teachers who were working without contracts picketed outside schools in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, In Portland, Oregon, a planned protest turned into what police called a riot, resulting in at least three arrests. Police also made two arrests at a protest in Seattle, and dispersed a group of protesters in Olympia, Washington. In Oakland, California, four people were arrested for
trespassing at an
Alameda County government building.
Trump in Manhattan On May 4, 2017, a thousand demonstrators gathered in Manhattan to protest Trump's first return home since his inauguration. The protesters demonstrated near the
USS Intrepid, where Trump was attending a gala. He left the city that night without visiting
Trump Tower, later tweeting that he would spend the weekend in
Bedminster, New Jersey "rather than causing a big disruption in NYC".
Trump in Brussels About 6,000 people protested in
Brussels, Belgium during Trump's visit with the prime minister and royal family on May 24, 2017.
Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement Protesters gathered at the White House gates on June 1, 2017, following Trump's announcement that the U.S. will be
withdrawing from the Paris Agreement.
Bill Nye "The Science Guy" was one of the protesters in attendance. The
John A. Wilson Building in D.C. was lit in green in protest of the decision, as were
One World Trade Center, the
Kosciuszko Bridge and
New York City Hall in New York City,
Boston City Hall,
Montreal City Hall, the
Hôtel de Ville in Paris, and the
Monumento a la Revolución and the
Angel of Independence in Mexico City. Protests also occurred in Miami, San Diego, and Syracuse. Conversely, dozens of people showed up on Saturday, June 3, 2017, for a "Pittsburgh not Paris"
flash mob rally at the
White House to demonstrate support for Trump and his decision to pull out of the
Paris Agreement.
March for Truth Nationwide
March for Truth protests were held on June 3, which called for a fair and impartial investigation into Russian involvement and collusion in the
2016 presidential election and any connection to American citizens. The marches also called for Donald Trump to release his tax returns for a more transparent understanding of his assets abroad.
Resist March On June 11, 2017, the usual
Los Angeles Pride march was "replaced" with a protest march called "#ResistMarch".
Impeachment March Demonstrations occurred nationwide on July 2, 2017, demanding that Congress begin the
impeachment process against Trump. Organizers alleged he has violated the
Foreign Emoluments Clause and the
Domestic Emoluments Clause, as well as committed
obstruction of justice in his
dismissal of Sally Yates and
James Comey. Thousands of protesters turned out for marches in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and hundreds attended a march in San Diego. Protests in Chicago and Atlanta each drew about 50 demonstrators, and another in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, drew an estimated 100-150 demonstrators.
Trump in Poland On July 6, 2017,
Razem, a Polish left-wing political party, organized a protest during
Donald Trump's visit to
Poland. Protesters were dressed as handmaids from
Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel ''
The Handmaid's Tale'', as a symbol of
women's rights' being endangered both in Poland and in the
United States.
Charlottesville rally Spontaneous protests broke out around the country following the violence that occurred in
Charlottesville, Virginia, during the
Unite the Right rally on August 12, 2017, particularly in
New York City,
Chicago and
Los Angeles. Protests addressed both the rise of
white supremacy in the United States, as well as the lack of condemnation of white supremacist groups by Donald Trump and alleged white supremacists working in the
Trump administration.
Trump rally in Phoenix Thousands of people protested a Trump rally in
Phoenix, Arizona, on August 22, 2017. Trump began his speech by informing the people in attendance, "And just so you know from the Secret Service, there aren't too many people outside protesting, OK. That I can tell you." Outside the hall thousands of protesters chanted, waved signs, played drums and peacefully protested. Although the signs carried by the protesters referred to a number of issues that the gathered assembly had against the president, the common concern seemed to center on Trump's hints earlier that he might pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff
Joe Arpaio, found guilty in July 2017 of
contempt of court charges due to his failure to comply with the court's order to stop its
racial profiling practices. At the rally, Trump addressed the issue stating, "I won't do it tonight, because I don't want to cause any controversy, is that OK? All right? But Sheriff Joe should feel good." Several days later Arpaio was pardoned. The evening ended with protesters throwing empty water bottles at the police and the police responding with canisters of tear gas and pepper spray.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals On September 5, 2017, protests and marches took place around the country following the
Trump administration decision to rescind the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that had been put in place under the
Obama Administration. Notable protests occurred in
Washington D.C.,
Denver,
San Francisco, and outside
Trump Tower in
New York City. At a September 19 protest outside Trump Tower, three congressmen were among those arrested.
Refuse Fascism . Greensboro, N.C., October 7, 2017. On November 4, 2017,
Refuse Fascism began a series of nationwide protests against Trump and Pence. Demonstrations were held in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and other cities.
Trump in the Philippines Protests erupted from November 9–14, 2017 when thousands in
Manila staged the protest against the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit hosted by the Philippines. Their call was to ban the visit of Trump in the country. It is because, according to the left-wing groups, Trump seemingly "to have dragged the Philippines into his war rhetorics against
North Korea,"
Mamasapano massacre and the
war in Marawi were created by the US's "
war on terror",
Recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel in Washington, D.C., December 16, 2017 Protests were held in many places across the world during the weekend of December 16 and 17. Crowds in the United States, Pakistan, Netherlands, Germany, Lebanon, Jordan, Australia, Montenegro, Iran, Morocco, Poland, United Kingdom, Greece and Indonesia gathered to protest against the decision.
Parkland high school shooting Several protests have been planned following the
Parkland high school shooting in
Parkland, Florida, calling on Trump and Republicans on both federal and state levels to take stricter action on
gun control. These included protests at the
National Rifle Association of America's headquarters in Virginia and a walkout at
South Broward High School not far from where the shooting took place. Several nationwide school walkouts were planned to protest the shooting and inaction on gun control.
Family separation policy In June 2018 several protests were held in opposition to the Trump administration's policy of
separating children from their parents, relatives, or other adults who accompanied them in entering the United States. Demonstrations were held in
Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, at the
Arizona State Capitol and in the
Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. On June 28, 575 people were arrested following acts of
mass civil disobedience inside the
Hart Senate Office Building. On June 30, a national protest,
Families Belong Together, was held which drew hundreds of thousands of protesters from all 50 states to demonstrate in more than 600 towns and cities.
Trump in the United Kingdom The Trump Baby blimp is a
balloon depicting
Donald Trump as a baby wearing a diaper and carrying a mobile phone. The inflatable was flown above
London's
Parliament Square on July 13, 2018, during the president's planned visit to the United Kingdom. Protesters gathered thousands of signatures supporting the online petition "Let Trump Baby Fly", and received permission from the
Greater London Authority and Mayor
Sadiq Khan to tether the balloon up to 100 feet high for two hours. While the balloon was the visual cornerstone of the protests, other protests were seen throughout the United Kingdom. One large rally was held at
Trafalgar Square, London with UK opposition leader
Jeremy Corbyn among speakers who spoke to reportedly over 100,000 attendees. In general more than 200,000 individuals had expressed interest in attending the protests, with the
London Metropolitan Police stating that they do not routinely release estimates for crowd sizes, leaving up to organizers. Protests continued as Trump moved to Scotland, as thousands protested Trump from
Edinburgh to his Scottish resort
Turnberry. A line of police separated the protesters from the golf course with snipers stationed in a nearby tower. Outside the golf course, a dozen demonstrators staged a "protest picnic" and chanted "Trump is a racist! Trump is a liar!"
Hollywood Walk of Fame Trump's star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded to the host of
The Apprentice in 2007, has been vandalized numerous times and destroyed twice – once in 2016 before the election, and once in 2018 when he was president. Street performer Francisco Javier reported in April 2016 that people often showed disrespect to the star, sometimes defacing it with paint or letting their dogs relieve themselves on it. One person put a sticker over Trump's name. After Trump's nomination as the Republican candidate in July 2016, the artist
Plastic Jesus built a small wall with
barbed wire and "Keep Out" signs around the star, a reference to the promised wall intended to keep out illegal immigrants. In October 2016. James Lambert Otis of the
Otis Elevator Company family attacked and destroyed the star with a sledge hammer. He said after his arrest he was supporting the
women who had accused Trump of sexual assault, and that he would sell pieces of the star with the money going to those women. In February 2017 Otis pleaded no contest to felony vandalism and was sentenced to three years probation, 20 days of community service, and $4,400 (~$ in ) in fines. On July 25, 2018 at 3:33 A.M., police responded to a report of a man vandalizing Trump's star with a
pickaxe that was hidden in a guitar case. Later a brawl broke out on the Hollywood Walk of Fame between a group of protesters and a group of Trump supporters, who were holding a
Make America Great Again rally in support of Trump around his new replacement star. In August, 2018, Trump supporters placed more than fifty laminated copies of the Trump star over blank squares at several locations, reportedly in response to a call for removal of Trump's star by a local city government.
Proposed federal policy on gender On October 21, 2018, a
The New York Times article reported on a
Department of Health and Human Services memo discussing plans to establish a definition of gender based on
sex assignment at birth across federal agenciesa policy which would prevent transgender people from changing the gender listed on their legal documents. The memo argued in favor of a definition of gender "on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable" and the use of
genetic testing to determine sex in the event of disputes. Over the following days, thousands of protesters gathered in
Washington, D.C.;
San Diego;
Portland, Maine;
Minneapolis;
Los Angeles;
Milwaukee;
Boston; and other cities across the country. , Westminster,
London, July 2018 ,
Paris, November 2018
Declaration of national emergency Demonstrations were held on
Presidents Day 2019 in response to Trump
declaring a national emergency in order to construct a new wall augmenting
the barrier along the
southern border. Because schools were closed for the holiday, many young people were able to participate.
2020 elections Protests were held in reaction to President Donald Trump's false claims of electoral fraud in light of
Joe Biden's victory in the
2020 presidential election. == Between presidencies ==