D.C. Braces for Tens of Thousands of Protesters During Trump’s Inauguration Week
by Phil McCausland
Donald Trump's voice won't be the only one heard at this year's inauguration.
Tens of thousands of people are preparing to hit the streets of Washington D.C. during the 45th president's inaugural week. While some will march in support of the president or various causes, a growing number will be on hand to show their opposition to the newly elected president and his administration.
he National Park Service has provided 22 permits for First Amendment events that will take place over inauguration week on park service land that includes the National Mall and the White House. Each protest ranges in size from 50 people to 200,000, however, any protest less than 25 people does not require a permit.
"The permit applications we received this year are a considerable uptick," Mike Litterst, public affairs officer of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said, adding that they typically have only provided about a half dozen for past inaugurations.
D.C.'s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has been preparing for the protests and the inauguration crowds since April. They're expecting 800,000 - 900,000 people to attend overall, which is significantly less than Obama's inauguration in 2009 that drew 1.8 million and forced the city into gridlock.
And the DHS will continue to examine hotel occupancy rates, buses and social media sites to try to gain a better understanding of the crowd's potential size as initial estimates could change.
Christopher Geldart, the director of the D.C. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said that 3,200 police officers from across the country will be on the parade route to provide security. Obama's first inauguration had 2,500, and his second had 3,000. Inauguration security expenses are expected to exceed $100 million this year.
The largest protest is expected to come the day after Trump's inauguration. According to the permit they acquired for 200,000 demonstrators and the responses they've received via social media, the Women's March on Washington is predicted to draw hundreds of thousands of protesters in the nation's capital on Jan. 21, although there will be corresponding protests across the country.
"It's quite noteworthy. If they get those kinds of numbers, it will far exceed any previous inaugural protest," said Inaugural Historian Jim Bendat, author of "Democracy's Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, 1789-2013."
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Bendat noted that the women's march reflects a similar demonstration in the early 20th century. A day prior to the first inauguration of Woodrow Wilson, 5,000 to 8,000 suffragists got a parade permit and marched down Pennsylvania Avenue demanding the women's right to vote.
"If you think about it, that's a lot of people for that era given transportation difficulties," Bendat said.
Ben Becker, an activist helping to organize the ANSWER Coalition's two prominent protests along the inaugural parade route, said it is unsurprising that there is this much interest in demonstrations opposed to the incoming administration.
While he said his organization applied for permits a year ago and planned to protest no matter the victor, entire communities were energized to share their disapproval of Trump.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/d-c-braced-900-000-protesters-during-trump-s-inauguration-n707226