NEW YORK SAYS GOOD RIDDANCE TO NATIVE SON TRUMP

Joyous New Yorkers poured into the streets on Saturday after Democrat Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump to win the White House, erupting in celebration as the business mogul and former star of The Apprentice was told: “You’re fired.” Revellers cheered across a city that has sparred for years with the president who rose to prominence in the New York real estate.

A reliable Democratic stronghold, the US financial capital’s disdain for the Republican’s policies was no secret. In Manhattan residents yelled and clapped, some waving flags and others banging pots from their balconies as car horns punctuated the applause.

Catherine Griffin cried tears of joy outside with one of her two kids, saying: “I’m happy that Trump has gone from our lives, hopefully forever.” “Having a little normalcy back in our lives, and my kids being able to see a decent human being in charge again — that just makes me happy for the day,” the 47-year-old said.

Hundreds of people gathered outside Trump Tower, as large crowds at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza — in a nod to the outgoing president’s “You’re fired!” catchphrase from his days hosting The Apprentice — chanted: “Trump got fired!”

Thousands more began amassing at Times Square and Columbus Circle, where a demonstration to protect the integrity of ballot tallying turned into a giant party.

“Biden has won finally,” said JD Beebe, a 35-year-old who works at an online company.

“I just feel like it’s a very American moment,” he said, adding: “I know the country is split almost 50/50, but I still think this is a very good day for democracy.

“I’m honestly looking forward to not every day having to be on a roller coaster about what ridiculous thing our leadership is going to say, or what they’re going to do to any oppressed portion of the community.”

Meanwhile in Atlanta, citizens gathered spontaneously on street corners and front lawns — honking their horns, banging pots and pans, starting impromptu dance parties — as an agonizingly vitriolic election and exhausting four-day wait for results came to an end on Saturday morning. Just after news organisations declared that former vice-president Joe Biden beat President Donald Trump, fireworks erupted in Atlanta. In Maine, a band playing at a farmers’ market broke into the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Neighbours ran out of their homes in Manhattan and assembled into an unplanned street party, whooping, dancing and high-fiving strangers. In Louisville, Kentucky, Biden supporters gathered on their lawns to toast with champagne. In Harlem, they danced in the streets, banged cowbells and honked their car horns. Trump’s supporters have for days been protesting outside of ballot-counting operations, alleging without evidence that the slow-moving results were proof of cheating. But on Saturday morning, it was the Democrats taking to the streets in jubilant displays, celebrating what was for them an end to four years of constant crises, chaos and anxiety. —