PHOENIX – As President Donald Trump was being sworn into office in Washington D.C. Friday morning, dozens of people gathered at the Arizona Capitol to protest the new president and his policies.
Some protesters carried signs: “Unfit to Lead, Impeach,” and “Not my President”. Joe Axton, a 67-year-old artist, pounded a bass drum strapped to his chest to the rhythm of the chants on the Capitol lawn.
The anti-Trump crowd ranged from the Redneck Revolt, a self-described anti-fascist coalition armed with assault rifles, to the Brown Berets, a Hispanic advocacy group that wielded signs, not weapons.
Nancy Salinas, a 35-year-old clinician, said she fears Trump’s presidency will bring nepotism and policies based on profits rather than principles.
“I’m here for the issues,” Salinas said. “I’m very scared about the things he’s talked about and the things he’s done…I think with this administration, a lot will be about profit because it’ll be about the bottom line.”
A few Trump supporters were at the protest but they were followed by the Redneck Revolt group. They shouted expletives as one man, wearing a ski mask and toting a pistol to showcase his support for guns rights, was being interviewed by a television news reporter. The Trump supporter said he was only trying to exercise his First Amendment rights.
Jana Selig, who coordinated the protest, said the protest shows that many people are dissatisfied with the results of the election and are willing to fight on issues they believe in.“I don’t want to come out here to have a fist fight with somebody,” the man said. “I came out here to voice my opinion and see what other people have to say, and that’s it.” He said he didn’t like Barack Obama but accepted him as the president; the protesters should do the same for Trump.
“I think a lot of people have that inner feeling of responsibility to make sure this doesn’t happen,” Selig said. “To make sure things like a Muslim registry don’t actually become a reality.”
Selig said Friday’s protest should be the beginning of Arizona residents’ activism.
“I think the biggest and best thing that can come out of this protest is that we connect people to networks so they can stay involved,” Selig said. “Us standing out here isn’t going to change the fact that Donald Trump was just inaugurated as president.”
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An anti-Trump protester (left) and a Trump supporter face off at the Arizona Capitol. (Photo by Ethan Millman/Cronkite News)People protesting President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day at the Arizona Capitol. (Photo by Ethan Millman/Cronkite News)A Donald Trump protester draws a peace sign and a heart as a contribution to the hand-made poster. The sign was an activity for people at the inauguration protest at the Arizona State Capitol on Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Nicole Tyau/Cronkite News)Phoenix resident Chris Fleischman, 54, stands with a large sign in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Friday, January 20, 2017. The gathering was in protest of the inauguration of President Donald Trump. (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)Phoenix resident Melissa Smallwood, 23, hits a piñata resembling President Donald Trump. A protest in the name of Trump’s inauguration took place on Friday, January 20, 2017. (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite news)A woman held a sign that read “SHE WON BY 3 MILLION” in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, a reference to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s final edge over President Donald Trump in the popular vote (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)People protested the inauguration of President Donald Trump at the Arizona State Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. One protester held handmade sign that read “WE ARE WATCHING.” (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)Phoenix resident Randy Dinin, 53, stands in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in protest of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Dinin’s signs read “NO TRUMP NO KKK NO FASCIST USA!” and “ANTI-COLONIAL ANTI-FASCIST RESISTANCE.” (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)Maricopa resident Dennis Howerton, 67, said he has friends in the LGBT community and in communities of color who fear a Trump administration. Howerton joined the President Trump inauguration protest in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)Several signs protesting the inauguration of President Donald Trump were present on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 at the Arizona State Capitol. Signs read “NOT MY PRESIDENT” and “THERE IS TOO MUCH WRONG & UNJUST WITH TRUMP TO FIT ON THIS SIGN.” (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)A protest of President Donald Trump’s inauguration began in front of the Arizona State Capitol at 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Ryan Santistevan/Cronkite News)
