Six police officers suffered minor injuries and 217 protesters were arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington, D.C.D.C. Metro police used smoke and pepper grenades as well as small flash bang bombs as they tried to retake certain streets in northwest Washington Friday afternoon. So far, the inaugural parade and the new president and vice president have been untouched by the violence blocks away.Several vehicles were damaged or torched, including a limousine set ablaze by demonstrators as authorities tried to disperse the violent crowds using pepper spray and flash bang grenades. Donald Trump's signature hats were used as kindling by protesters to start some street fires.A Bank of America and a Starbucks were vandalized and several vehicles were damaged or torched, including a limousine set ablaze by demonstrators as authorities tried to disperse the violent crowds using pepper spray and flash bang grenades. Donald Trump's signature hats were used as kindling by protesters to start some street fires.Some of the violent protesters covered their faces and wore dark clothes in the style of the black block anarchist group that caused a ruckus in Chicago during the 2012 NATO Summit.Chicago entrepreneur Genevieve Thiers, who runs the Rise movement and is leading a group to DC for Saturday's Women's March on Washington, spoke with the I-Team from Washington on Friday afternoon."The city is kind of tearing itself apart...There's a lot of smoke in the air, people knocked over two trash cans and lit them on fire. People are in the trees and on top of the bus stations. At one point, people started running, which was really scary. I learned later that a guy had smashed out a window of a car and tried to drive it into a crowd, so the National Guard kind of came in," Thiers said.After what Thiers witnessed Friday, she said she is frightened for Saturday's march. Her Rise movement - an economic action group - has more than 100 people coming on buses from Chicago to take part in the march."All of a sudden everyone starts to run and there's smoke and you don't really know what you're breathing or you know, why you're running. It's a little bit nuts," Thiers said.There also were anti-Trump protests around the world, including in London, Hong Kong and Berlin -- where demonstrators held a sign that read, "Walls divide." In the West Bank, Palestinians protested against Israeli settlements and Trump's plan to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.In New York, seven people were arrested at a demonstration outside of Trump Tower, according to the New York Police Department.</s>WASHINGTON — Six police officers were injured and 217 protesters arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington.

At least two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN.

Acting DC Police Chief Peter Newsham said all of the injuries to police officers are considered minor and non-life threatening but three of those officers were injured in the head.

After the swearing-in ceremony, demonstrators near 12th and K streets threw rocks and bottles at police, who were clad in riot gear and attempting to disperse the crowd. A large number of police were on scene and used smoke and flash-bang devices to try to scatter the protesters.

Newsham told CNN that there were several hundred protesters who were confronting police, while he praised the thousands of other demonstrators who behaved in a peaceful fashion to get their point across.

“We have been pointing out all along that this is a very isolated incident and by and large everything is going peacefully and a lot of folks have come to the city to enjoy this historic day, not only the Capitol but walking all around the city,” Newsham said.

In a statement earlier, the DC police said protesters “acting in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property. More specifically, the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires while armed with crowbars, hammers, and asps.”

Newsham said there had been 217 arrests as of 6 p.m. ET.

“Pepper spray and other control devices were used to control the criminal actors and protect persons and property,” police said.

Throughout the day, demonstrators, some wearing masks and dressed in black, shattered building windows, vandalized police cars and other vehicles, setting some on fire — including a limousine — and toppled news kiosks.

At one point, police used pepper spray as a group of protesters ran down 13th Street.

“I think Donald Trump is a fascist, and it’s very easy for people, especially people who are in pain, to slip into fascism,” said protester Lysander Reid-Powell, a 20-year-old student from New Mexico.

Ashley Link, 37, said she was frustrated by the violence of some demonstrators but understood why it was happening.

“I’m all about peaceful protesting, practicing nonviolence, but at the same time, I understand why people are so frustrated,” she said. “They are so upset about so many things in our country right now that to make a poster? There’s not a poster big enough to cover all the things that people are frustrated about.”

At one checkpoint, about 50 protesters sat down in the street in an attempt to block Trump supporters from entering a secure area to watch the swearing-in ceremony and speech. Not far away, a group of immigration backers staged a “pop-up” protest near another check point.

“We’re here to take a stand against the ideas that Trump spouted throughout the course of this campaign — sexism, Islamophobia, his bigotry, and nationalism,” said protester Jed Holtz, from New York City.

In a series of coordinated demonstrations designed to cut off spectator access, protesters blocked or caused bottlenecks in front of at least a half-dozen security checkpoints outside the National Mall in the hours ahead of the swearing in.

Three women were chained together at the neck on 10th Street, and more than 150 demonstrators organized by the DisruptJ20 coalition surrounded an entrance near the Canadian embassy. “This checkpoint is closed,” they chanted, forcing Trump supporters to turn back and walk along Indiana Avenue in search of a clearer path.

As Trump was being sworn in, a half-dozen protesters, each wearing a letter of the word “RESIST,” stood up from just behind the VIP area and began to recite the preamble of the US Constitution as Trump recited the oath of office.

“The only source of light on this miserable day is the massive, multi-racial, multi-generational progressive resistance movement led by women and people of color that’s already emerging to confront Donald Trump’s agenda of hate and growing stronger every single day,” said Democracy for America Executive Director Charles Chamberlain.

There also were anti-Trump protests around the world, including in London, Hong Kong and Berlin — where demonstrators held a sign that read, “Walls divide.” In the West Bank, Palestinians protested against Israeli settlements and Trump’s plan to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

In New York, seven people were arrested at a demonstration outside of Trump Tower, according to the New York Police Department.

On Thursday night in Washington, protesters gathered on 14th Street outside the National Press Club to demonstrate against “DeploraBall,” an event organized by some of Trump’s most fervent supporters. The name riffs off the campaign description of some Trump backers by his defeated opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a “basket of deplorables.”

As attendees — some of whom were clad in suits and red hats, others dressed in gowns — entered the event, demonstrators chanted “Shame” and “Nazis go home” behind a phalanx of police. Some held signs that read “No Alt Reich” and “No Nazi USA.”

The Women’s March gets ready for prime time

On Saturday, the Women’s March on Washington could attract a quarter million participants, organizers said.

“We’re really trying to set a tone of resistance for the coming years,” Lacy MacAuley, a DisruptJ20 organizer, told CNN. “Donald Trump represents a shift in our politics in a dangerous, harmful, exclusionary direction. We oppose those policies of hate.”

According to Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson, as many as 900,000 spectators may attend inaugural ceremonies.

Johnson told reporters last week that 28,000 security personnel from dozens of agencies, including local and out-of-town police officers, will be fanned out across the city on Inauguration Day and into the weekend.

Organizers of the march, which begins near Capitol Hill at 10 a.m. ET, now say internal divisions, many of them stemming from a divisive Democratic primary fight, are being put aside in the name of solidarity.

“We have already proven that Hillary and Bernie Sanders supporters can work together against fascism, xenophobia, and racism,” Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American Muslim activist from Brooklyn, told CNN.

The march, which began with a modest Facebook call in the aftermath of the election, has grown in to what could be one of the larger political demonstrations ever in DC.

There are more than 600 “sister marches” planned around the country and fundraising for the event has largely come in chunks of $20 and $30 online donations.

“It really reminds me of the Sanders campaign,” Sarsour said. “A very grassroots, very grass-powered movement.”

CNN’s Brian Todd, Sarah Ganim, Noah Gray, Dugald McConnell, Pallavi Reddy, Jeremy Diamond, Betsy Klein and Chris Welch contributed to this report.</s>Six police officers were injured and 217 protesters arrested Friday after a morning of peaceful protests and coordinated disruptions of Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony gave way to ugly street clashes in downtown Washington. At least two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN.

Start the conversation, or Read more at GantDaily.com.</s>Washington (CNN)A pair of police officers were injured and 95 protesters arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington, D.C.

Two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN. The injuries are non-life threatening.

Protesters “acting in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property,” the police said in a statement. “More specifically, the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires while armed with crowbars, hammers, and asps.”</s>Protesters outside the "Deploraball" have been hit with pepper spray grenades ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. RT America is on the scene in Washington, DC."There are explosions," Rubinstein saidSome people leaving the Deploraball, the pre-inaugural party to celebrate Trump's election, were targeted by protesters, who threw projectiles.A protester was also seen lighting a fire in the street.Another fire was seen smoldering in a trash can. Plants along the street were also ripped out and thrown.Police sprayed protesters with an unconfirmed substance, possibly pepper spray or mace, at a high pressure.The Deploraball is a pre-inaugural party to celebrate Trump's election. About a thousand so-called "deplorables" are expected to attend the event at the National Press Club.</s>Six police officers were injured and 217 protesters arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington. At least two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN.

Start the conversation, or Read more at WTVR Richmond.</s>Six police officers were injured and 217 protesters arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at security personnel near US President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington D.C.

 

 At least two police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN.

 

 After the swearing-in ceremony, demonstrators near 12th and K streets threw rocks and bottles at police, who were clad in riot gear and attempting to disperse the crowd. 

 

 A large number of police were on scene and used smoke and flash-bang devices to try to scatter the protesters.

 

 Acting D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham told CNN that there were several hundred protesters who were confronting police, while he praised the thousands of other demonstrators who behaved in a peaceful fashion to get their point across.

 

 "We have been pointing out all along that this is a very isolated incident and by and large everything is going peacefully and a lot of folks have come to the city to enjoy this historic day, not only the Capitol but walking all around the city," Newsham said.

 

 Throughout Friday, demonstrators, some wearing masks and dressed in black, shattered building windows, vandalized police cars and other vehicles, setting some on fire -- including a limousine -- and toppled news kiosks.

 

 "Pepper spray and other control devices were used to control the criminal actors and protect persons and property," the police said.

 

 Protester Lysander Reid-Powell, a 20-year-old student from New Mexico told CNN: "I think Donald Trump is a fascist, and it's very easy for people, especially people who are in pain, to slip into fascism." 

 

 At one checkpoint, about 50 protesters sat down in the street in an attempt to block Trump supporters from entering a secure area to watch the swearing-in ceremony and speech. 

 

 Not far away, a group of immigration backers staged a "pop up" protest near another check point.

 

 "We're here to take a stand against the ideas that Trump spouted throughout the course of this campaign -- sexism, Islamophobia, his bigotry and nationalism," said protester Jed Holtz, from New York City.

 

 There also were anti-Trump protests around the world, including London, Hong Kong and Berlin -- where demonstrators held a sign that read, "Walls divide", CNN reported. 

 

 In the West Bank, Palestinians protested against Israeli settlements and Trump's plan to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

 

 In New York, seven people were arrested at a demonstration outside of Trump Tower, according to the New York Police Department.

 

 On Saturday, the Women's March on Washington could attract a quarter million participants, organisers said.

 

 "We're really trying to set a tone of resistance for the coming years," Lacy MacAuley, a DisruptJ20 organizer, told CNN. 

 

 "Donald Trump represents a shift in our politics in a dangerous, harmful, exclusionary direction. We oppose those policies of hate."

 

 According to Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson, as many as 900,000 spectators were slated to attend inaugural ceremonies.</s>Not far from the placid crowds celebrating Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on the National Mall, a series of protests broke out across the streets of D.C. As Donald Trump ascended to the presidency and the inaugural parade commenced, demonstrators, reporters, two llamas, and hundreds of police officers clashed against a backdrop of Rihanna songs, broken limousine windows and pepper spray.

ABC reports protesters are now taking selfies inside the smashed limo.

The protests, though violent and loud, are reportedly not visible from the Inaugural parade, which is set to begin as soon as Donald Trump finishes eating lunch.

Police have already arrested more than 95 people, and are currently deploying pepper spray and flash bombs around Metro Center, where the protests appear to be centralized. DC police say at least three officers were injured in the clash by protesters throwing bottles, bricks and rocks. But according to one MSNBC reporter on the ground, only a small group comprised of 50 of the thousands of protesters are actually throwing things.

Some reporters appear to have been caught up in the melee—there’s video of Washington Post reporter Dalton Bennett being thrown to the ground by riot police, and MSNBC’s audio technician was pepper sprayed by police. Even Larry King’s driver was “rattled” after protesters “smashed the windows of my hired SUV & many other cars,” the octogenarian tweeted.

The reported violence appears to be tied to demonstrators on both sides of the issue; there are reports of both anti-Trump protesters smashing windows and Trump supporters smashing protesters.

And more on the protests from reporters on the scene:

This is a breaking news post and will be updated.</s>Protesters registered their rage against the new president Friday in a chaotic confrontation with police who used pepper spray and stun grenades in a melee just blocks from Donald Trump's inaugural parade. At least 217 people were arrested for rioting while a burning limousine sent clouds of black smoke into the sky during Trump's procession.Several spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring" and "Free Palestine."But about a mile from the National Mall, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonald's as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off protesters at 12th and L streets in northwest Washington."They began to destroy property, throw objects at people, through windows. A large percentage of this small group was armed with crowbars and hammers," said the city's interim police chief, Peter Newsham.Six officers suffered minor injuries, he said.The confrontation began an hour before Trump took the oath of office and escalated several hours later as the crowd of protesters swelled to more than 1,000, some wearing gas masks and with arms chained together inside PVC pipe. One said the demonstrators were "bringing in the cavalry."When some crossed police lines, taunting, "Put the pigs in the ground," police charged with batons and pepper spray, as well as stun grenades, which are used to shock and disperse crowds. Loud booms echoed through the streets about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade.Some protesters picked up bricks and concrete from the sidewalk and hurled them at police lines. Some rolled large, metal trash cans at police.The limousine was attacked on the perimeter of the secured zone. As Trump and his parade of celebrants moved along Pennsylvania Avenue, the vehicle was ablaze, tainting the air for blocks and sending protesters and passers-by moving swiftly away.As night fell, young protesters ignited a large bonfire blocks from the White House in McPherson Square. They carried signs like "Hail to the Thief" and hung an upside-down American flag as women in gowns and men in tuxedos passed by, presumably en route to one of the inaugural balls.Police said protesters damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires while armed with crowbars and hammers. All 217 people arrested were charged with rioting, said Newsham, noting that the group caused "significant damage" along a number of blocks.Before Inauguration Day, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren't going to put a damper on his day."They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher. "It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again, it's one of the things I love about this country."At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the DisruptJ20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard. Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump's praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump "Putin's Puppet" and "Kremlin employee of the month."Friday's protests spread across the nation.In San Francisco, thousands formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted "Love Trumps hate." In the city's financial district, a few hundred protesters blocked traffic outside an office building partly owned by Trump.In Atlanta, protests converged at City Hall and a few hundred people chanted and waved signs protesting Trump, denouncing racism and police brutality and expressing support for immigrants, Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.And in Nashville, half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol. Hundreds also sat in a 10-minute silent protest at a park while Trump took the oath of office. Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud.The demonstrations won't end when Trump takes up residence in the White House.A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.___Associated Press writers contributing to this report were: Steve Peoples, Alan Suderman, Matthew Barakat, Alanna Durkin Richer and Luis Alonso Lugo, in Washington; Kate Brumback in Atlanta; Jonathan Mattise and Erik Schelzig in Nashville; and Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco.</s>WASHINGTON (CNN) — Six police officers were injured and 217 protesters arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington.

At least two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN.

Acting DC Police Chief Peter Newsham said all of the injuries to police officers are considered minor and non-life threatening but three of those officers were injured in the head.

After the swearing-in ceremony, demonstrators near 12th and K streets threw rocks and bottles at police, who were clad in riot gear and attempting to disperse the crowd. A large number of police were on scene and used smoke and flash-bang devices to try to scatter the protesters.

Newsham told CNN that there were several hundred protesters who were confronting police, while he praised the thousands of other demonstrators who behaved in a peaceful fashion to get their point across.

“We have been pointing out all along that this is a very isolated incident and by and large everything is going peacefully and a lot of folks have come to the city to enjoy this historic day, not only the Capitol but walking all around the city,” Newsham said.

In a statement earlier, the DC police said protesters “acting in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property. More specifically, the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires while armed with crowbars, hammers, and asps.”

Newsham said there had been 217 arrests as of 6 p.m. ET.

“Pepper spray and other control devices were used to control the criminal actors and protect persons and property,” police said.

Throughout the day, demonstrators, some wearing masks and dressed in black, shattered building windows, vandalized police cars and other vehicles, setting some on fire — including a limousine — and toppled news kiosks.

At one point, police used pepper spray as a group of protesters ran down 13th Street.

“I think Donald Trump is a fascist, and it’s very easy for people, especially people who are in pain, to slip into fascism,” said protester Lysander Reid-Powell, a 20-year-old student from New Mexico.

Ashley Link, 37, said she was frustrated by the violence of some demonstrators but understood why it was happening.

“I’m all about peaceful protesting, practicing nonviolence, but at the same time, I understand why people are so frustrated,” she said. “They are so upset about so many things in our country right now that to make a poster? There’s not a poster big enough to cover all the things that people are frustrated about.”

At one checkpoint, about 50 protesters sat down in the street in an attempt to block Trump supporters from entering a secure area to watch the swearing-in ceremony and speech. Not far away, a group of immigration backers staged a “pop up” protest near another check point.

“We’re here to take a stand against the ideas that Trump spouted throughout the course of this campaign — sexism, Islamophobia, his bigotry and nationalism,” said protester Jed Holtz, from New York City.

In a series of coordinated demonstrations designed to cut off spectator access, protesters blocked or caused bottlenecks in front of at least a half dozen security checkpoints outside the National Mall in the hours ahead of the swearing in.

Three women were chained together at the neck on 10th Street, and more than 150 demonstrators organized by the DisruptJ20 coalition surrounded an entrance near the Canadian embassy. “This checkpoint is closed,” they chanted, forcing Trump supporters to turn back and walk along Indiana Avenue in search of a clearer path.

As Trump was being sworn in, a half-dozen protesters, each wearing a letter of the word “RESIST,” stood up from just behind the VIP area and began to recite the preamble of the US Constitution as Trump recited the oath of office.

“The only source of light on this miserable day is the massive, multi-racial, multi-generational progressive resistance movement led by women and people of color that’s already emerging to confront Donald Trump’s agenda of hate and growing stronger every single day,” said Democracy for America Executive Director Charles Chamberlain.

There also were anti-Trump protests around the world, including in London, Hong Kong and Berlin — where demonstrators held a sign that read, “Walls divide.” In the West Bank, Palestinians protested against Israeli settlements and Trump’s plan to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

In New York, seven people were arrested at a demonstration outside of Trump Tower, according to the New York Police Department.

On Thursday night in Washington, protesters gathered on 14th Street outside the National Press Club to demonstrate against “DeploraBall,” an event organized by some of Trump’s most fervent supporters. The name riffs off the campaign description of some Trump backers by his defeated opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a “basket of deplorables.”

As attendees — some of whom were clad in suits and red hats, others dressed in gowns — entered the event, demonstrators chanted “Shame” and “Nazis go home” behind a phalanx of police. Some held signs that read “No Alt Reich” and “No Nazi USA.”

The Women’s March gets ready for prime time

On Saturday, the Women’s March on Washington could attract a quarter million participants, organizers said.

“We’re really trying to set a tone of resistance for the coming years,” Lacy MacAuley, a DisruptJ20 organizer, told CNN. “Donald Trump represents a shift in our politics in a dangerous, harmful, exclusionary direction. We oppose those policies of hate.”

According to Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson, as many as 900,000 spectators may attend inaugural ceremonies.

Johnson told reporters last week that 28,000 security personnel from dozens of agencies, including local and out-of-town police officers, will be fanned out across the city on Inauguration Day and into the weekend.

Organizers of the march, which begins near Capitol Hill at 10 a.m. ET, now say internal divisions, many of them stemming from a divisive Democratic primary fight, are being put aside in the name of solidarity.

“We have already proven that Hillary and Bernie Sanders supporters can work together against fascism, xenophobia, and racism,” Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American Muslim activist from Brooklyn, told CNN.

The march, which began with a modest Facebook call in the aftermath of the election, has grown in to what could be one of the larger political demonstrations ever in DC.

There are more than 600 “sister marches” planned around the country and fundraising for the event has largely come in chunks of $20 and $30 online donations.

“It really reminds me of the Sanders campaign,” Sarsour said. “A very grassroots, very grass-powered movement.”
Some protesters of the inauguration smash windows, damage cars, and clash with the police. Six police officers and at least one civilian are injured. DC police say 217 protesters have been arrested.