World News

In challenge to Trump, women protesters swarm streets across US

faces entrenched opposition from segments of the public at the start of his term, a period that is typically more of a honeymoon for a new president.

A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found Trump had the lowest favorability rating of any incoming US president since the 1970s.

Tens of thousands of protesters filled midtown Manhattan and thousands of women also took to the streets of Sydney, London, Tokyo and other cities in Europe and Asia in “sister marches” against Trump.

Trump wrote on Twitter yesterday: “I am honored to serve you, the great American People, as your 45th President of the United States!” but made no mention of the protests. He attended an interfaith service at Washington National Cathedral and then visited the CIA headquarters.

The Washington march stressed the city’s Metro subway system, with riders reporting enormous crowds and some end-ofline stations temporarily turning away riders when parking lots filled and platforms became too crowded.

The Metro reported 275,000 rides as of 11 am (1600 GMT) yesterday, 82,000 more than the 193,000 reported at the same time on Friday, the day of Trump’s inauguration and eight times normal Saturday volume.

By afternoon, the protest rally had been peaceful, a sharp contrast to the day before when black-clad anti-establishment activists smashed windows, set vehicles on fire and fought with riot police who responded with stun grenades. Washington prosecutors yesterday said about $100,000 in damage had been done during Friday’s rioting and that 230 adults and five minors had been arrested, up from the 217 they had reported a day earlier.

Many protesters yesterday wore knitted pink cateared “pussyhats,” a reference to Trump’s claim in the 2005 video that was made public weeks before the election that he grabbed women by the genitals.