The charge carries a punishment of up to ten years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
Thousand
of protesters launched a violent rampage just blocks away from the
White House as anti-Trump demonstrators smashed store windows, set fire
to cars and threw bricks at police.
Heated
clashes broke out in McPherson Square and along K Street as hundreds of
riot police fired tear gas and drew their nightsticks to contain the
masked mob.
Militant
anti-Trump protesters gave a foretaste of what could follow during the
violent outbreaks, which has so far seen 217 people arrested and at
least six police officers injured.
Riot police have arrested nearly a
hundred people for the explosive protests in the streets of D.C.
Washington police said numerous individuals were charged with rioting
Police use pepper spray on the mob of
protesters in McPherson Square. A violent rampage started just two
blocks from the White House in the square and along K Street
Rioters set off multiple fires as they confronted police as protests over Trump turned ugly
Rioters set fire to a limousine and scrawled 'We the people' on the side of the vehicle
Police have arrested nearly 100
anti-Trump protesters on Friday. Rioters hurled rocks and other debris
at a Starbucks Cafe window as they ran through the streets on in protest
of President Trump
Just before
the parade started, clashes broke out between more than 400
stone-throwing protesters and riot police in McPherson Square - just
blocks from the parade in honor of newly sworn-in president.
As
Trump's motorcade wound its way up Pennsylvania Avenue in the parade to
the White House, protesters also descended on Franklin Square Park
where they graffitied a stretch limo before setting the vehicle
ablaze right outside the Washington Post building.
'Groups
of people started gathering around the limo. There was a sense
of something going to happen. People were shouting 'it's going to
blow'. We tried to move them back,' DailyMail.com columnist Katie
Hopkins, who witnessed the ordeal, said.
'The inauguration parade for the president is just blocks away from where all this is happening.'
Hopkins said the anarchists set things ablaze and started throwing bricks, stones and rocks.
'These people are here for this purpose - these guys are here for the fight,' she said.
A protester burns one of Trump's Make America Great t-shirt just hours after he was sworn in as president
SWAT
team police in full riot gear moved in spraying pepper spray in a bid to
disperse the rioters. Among those where hit were Hawk Newsome, leader
of Black Lives Matter in New York.
City
police chief Peter Newsham said at least 217 people were arrested and
would be held overnight before appearing in front of a judge.
'The
charge is rioting,' he told reporters. 'Our intention going into this
event was to make zero arrests, and unfortunately they forced our hand.'
Meanwhile,
prominent white supremacist Richard Spencer was sucker-punched by a
masked protester in the street while giving an interview to journalists.
Anti-Trump demonstrator set a 'Make
America Great Again' hat on fire as masked, black-clad protesters
carrying anarchist flags smashed windows and scuffled with riot police
in D.C.
A Trump supporter was seen trying to pull an American flag out of a fire lit by a protester just hours after the inauguration
Protesters swarmed the streets in Washington as they set fire to mutliple trash cans
Most of the noisy protests -
including an array of anti-racist, anti-war, feminist, LGBT,
pro-immigration and marijuana legalization groups - were peaceful.
But
some protesters had earlier dragged trash cans into the road before
setting them on fire. Vendors selling Trump T-shirts suddenly started
offering them as 'fire fuel, and set them alight.
One
police van retreated quickly, reversing a whole city block at high
speed after a rock smashed through its window but within minutes
reinforcements arrived as a SWAT team in full riot gear blocked K Street
and threatened to pepper spray yelling demonstrators.
A rock also hit a Secret Service vehicle forcing it to beat a hasty retreat.
Thugs
dressed head-to-toe in black with their faces completely hidden urged
the mob to gather pieces of paving stone to use as missiles.
Vandals
set the limo afire after totally trashing it smashing its windows and
scrawling graffiti on its side, leaving its horn constantly blaring.
Broadcaster Larry King said that while he was in a studio, the windows of his SUV were smashed by protesters.
'Protestors
in DC smashed the windows of my hired SUV & many other cars. I was
working in-studio & am ok, but my driver is a bit rattled,' he
tweeted.
Police in riot gear deployed pepper spray and made arrests after protesters smashed the windows of downtown D.C. businesses
A rioter wrapped in a rainbow flag walks very close to the police line as protests turned violent in Washington
An angry protester faces off with a line of riot police during a demonstration in D.C.
A
TV truck was also smashed as the mob ignored calls to stop from one
section of the crowd who said the new administration wanted them to
riot.
'Please stop. This is not ok,' pleaded one young woman. 'This is what they want. They will eat this up.'
The
protesters shouted 'F... Trump,' calling his new administration
'fascist' and 'illegitimate.' They brandished placards variously
denouncing the new president as racist, homophobic and anti-women.
Police
blasted them with tear gas and stun grenades and several women claimed
they had been maced as they struggled with tears seeping from their
eyes.
Riot police chased the group, some openly promoting anarchy, down 10th and E streets, about a mile from the Mall.
More than 500 people, many wearing masks and handkerchiefs over their faces, marched through the center of DC.
They attacked cars and shop windows, smashing glass panes at a Bank of America branch, a McDonald's outlet and a Starbucks shop.
Luis
Villarroel from Virginia dropped passengers off near the corner of 13th
and K Streets NW then parked in front of the Washington Post building.
He
got out of his Lincoln MKT limo when he heard loud noises and 'hundreds
of masked men' coming his way. He said the protesters 'threw food at
him' and started beating his limo. They threw a flare inside the limo,
which is still visible on the seat.
Activists leave the site of a
limousine which was set ablaze during a protest against Trump. Someone
wrote on the side of the burning limo: 'We the People'
Unruly protesters were pursued by riot
police who used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to subdue the
crowd. Several windows were broken including a McDonald's restaurant's
Police managed to funnel the protesters away, but security was stepped up for this afternoon's Presidential parade.
D.C. police reported that two uniformed officers sustained minor injuries and police vehicles were damaged in the riots.
President Trump began his reign at the White House today greeted by rain and vast empty spaces at his inauguration.
Unlike
the inauguration ceremonies for former President Obama where crowds
filled the Mall past the Washington Monument, Trump's acceptance speech
was greeted by far less spectators.
As
he spoke areas at the back of the Mall were empty and the three second
delay in his words reaching those at the back only added to the low key
atmosphere.
There were muted cheers and
very little chanting to greet the President among the spectators that
stood with space to walk freely behind them.
A police officer falls to the ground
as another shoots pepper spray at protesters demonstrating against U.S.
President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration
Riot police used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to subdue the destructive crowd
Activists run after being hit by a stun grenade while protesting against Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration
The riots in D.C. in response to
Trump's inauguration have led to nearly a hundred arrests. Several
windows were broken including a McDonald's restaurant's.
Trump's inauguration attendance was
not as expected and the National Mall sat half-empty (left) compared to
Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration turn out (right), which saw an
estimated 1.8million people on the below freezing day
Past inaugurations saw higher
attendance numbers. According to D.C. Metro's ridership statistics, only
193,000 trips were taken by 11am on Friday morning, compared to 2013
when 317,000 people had used the public transportation
As
anti-Trump demonstrators attempted to block the way to the parade walk
and smashed up shop windows, supporters and protesters alike flocked to
Washington D.C. for inauguration day.
Attendance
was not as expected and the National Mall sat half-empty compared to
Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration turn out, which saw an estimated
1.8million people on the below freezing day.
The half-empty ceremony, which expected a turn out of 900,000 people, saw temperatures in the 40s and some rain was expected.
Past
inaugurations saw higher attendance numbers. According to D.C. Metro's
ridership statistics, only 193,000 trips were taken by 11am on Friday
morning, compared to 2013 when 317,000 people had used the public
transportation.
In 2009, numbers reached 513,000 and Bush's 2005 ceremony had 197,000 rides.
Demonstrators
came from across the US to voice their objection President Donald Trump
- despite being a tiny minority compared to vast crowds there to hail
him. Some said they would also have protested Hillary Clinton.
Protests
became violent and destructive as shop windows were smashed out in
retaliation to Trump being sworn in on the steps of Capitol Hill.
Several
thousand inauguration-goers were held up for an extra hour by just a
handful of animal rights protesters who blocked an entry point at 7th
Street and D600nw and were met by soldiers and police with dogs.
Protesters demonstrated near the parade route where Trump will walk after taking the oath of office
Those
who had come to voice their anti-Trump views repeatedly shouted 'Let us
in' as the rain came down and senior police officials gathered to
examine how best to solve the situation.
One protester who held up the lines brandished a placard which read : 'Queers for human and animal rights.'
Alena
Chavez, 20, a student who had traveled from San Francisco, California,
said: 'Trump needs to learn how to respect women, all races and
religions and understand that we know he will not make a great
President.'
Due to the expected downpour, the National Park Service has revised its policy on umbrellas.
It
eased up on the 'no umbrella' rule, allowing collapsible 'totes'-style
umbrellas along the parade route and on the National Mall.
On the Capitol grounds regular umbrellas are still prohibited in any ticketed area.
The
nation's soon-to-be president joked about the chance of a downpour.
'That's OK,' Trump told campaign donors at an event Thursday night,
'because people will realize it's my real hair.'
'Might be a mess, but they're going to see that it's my real hair,' he said.
As
historic numbers turned out to express their dissent towards the Trump
Administration, another group came forward to assert their support of
the 45th President.
Bikers For Trump, a
self-explanatory organization who aim to 'promote and coordinate
peaceful rallies and events nationwide' held their own celebration on
Saturday while the millions of women marched nearby.
As a counteractive event, the group set up along the inaugural route in Washington, D.C. to rally for their beliefs.
As historic numbers turned out to
express their dissent towards the Trump Administration, another group
came forward to assert their support of the 45th President
Bikers For Trump, a self-explanatory
organization who aim to 'promote and coordinate peaceful rallies and
events nationwide' held their own celebration while the millions of
women marched nearby
As a counteractive event, the group set up along the inaugural route in Washington, D.C. to rally for their beliefs
