Renewed protests against U. S. President Donald Trump flared on the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, with grassroots activists vowing to take to the streets in dozens of cities in “Not My President’s Day” rallies.
Protest leaders had said they expected thousands to rally in about 28 cities ranging from Los Angeles and Chicago to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the latest round of demonstrations to voice displeasure with Trump’s policies and pronouncements.
In New York, hundreds of protesters stretching at least eight blocks chanted “He cheats, he lies, open up your eyes” near the Trump International Hotel on the edge of Central Park.
“I think he’s got a mean personality,” said marcher Edith Cresmer, a 78-year-old urban planner. “But the worst thing about him is how he incited peoples’ fears and pits them against each other. ”
Organizers of the New York rally said they opposed the Trump agenda, including proposed cuts in federal spending and construction of a wall along the border with Mexico.
“Donald Trump is literally our president, but figuratively, he has attacked every value New Yorkers embody and does not represent our interests,” organizers said on Facebook.
The idea for the Presidents Day protests originated in Los Angeles, where about 4,300 people had said on Facebook they would attend a City Hall rally, according to organizers, and it spread to other locales via social media.
In Miami, about two dozen people took part in a rally against what organizers called “the un-American policies of the White House,” CBS television reported.
“There is hatred among different races, separation of races. It needs to stop, we need to find a common good and work together to preserve the United States,” protester June Martinez told CBS.
Recent anti-Trump protests have included a “general strike” on Friday, a day after thousands of immigrants across the United States stayed away from work and school to highlight the contributions of foreign-born residents to the U. S. economy.[nL1N1G21IB][nL1N1G111W]
On Saturday, Trump staged a rally for supporters in Florida at a Melbourne aircraft hangar to attack the media and tout his accomplishments in office. [nL1N1G401L]
Presidents Day is the unofficial name of the holiday honoring the birthday of George Washington, the first U. S. president.
(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
