LOS ANGELES (AP) - Thousands of protesters formed a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge on Friday while thousands more marched through a driving rainstorm in Los Angeles as demonstrators in a state that overwhelmingly voted against Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency rallied against his inauguration.
Shortly after Trump was sworn in as the nation’s 45th president, about 3,600 people with many dressed in purple ponchos lined arm-in-arm across the brightly colored bridge that is arguably California’s most recognizable symbol.
The color purple was chosen as a symbol protesting bullying, said bridge demonstration organizer Lisa Sato, something the brash new president’s critics have often accused him of.
Others carried signs proclaiming “Love Trumps Hate” as they walked across the bridge, careful to stay on its pedestrian walkway and not block passing cars whose drivers often honked in support.
“The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic symbol for San Francisco and it’s really a symbol of unity,” said Sheila Chung-Hagen of San Francisco.
She said she was excited to be among thousands of people “here to promote love, not the kind of hate that we’ve been seeing with Trump.”
In Los Angeles, where rain is seen about as often as Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats, some 2,000 people braved a rare, ferocious rainstorm to march downtown to City Hall.
“Obviously there’s nothing we can do - he’s president now,” one protester, Martin Pineda, said about Trump as he stood amid pouring, wind-whipped rain at downtown’s LA Live entertainment district.
He added: “But I think the biggest problem in history that has repeated itself is when people remain silent. And as long as we don’t remain silent people will know that we’re fighting against what he has to say and what he believes in.”
The 26-year-old college student said he would stand up against Trump’s promises to deport millions of people living in the country illegally and to create a national registry for Muslims.
Meanwhile, women’s marches protesting Trump’s presidency were scheduled Saturday for San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities around the state and nation, including Washington, D.C.
Friday’s protests in Los Angeles and San Francisco were largely peaceful, although San Francisco police reported at least two dozen arrests.
In the city’s financial district, several dozen people blocked the 52-story skyscraper that once housed Bank of America’s headquarters and is now partly owned by Trump. Another group chained themselves to the nearby Wells Fargo headquarters.
Demonstrators also sought to blockade the San Francisco headquarters of Uber, whose CEO Travis Kalanick has a role on the Strategic and Policy Forum business group Trump formed after his election.
Some carried signs proclaiming, “Resist Trump” while others chanted, “No Trump. No wall.” Others laughed as they used sticks to batter pinatas in the shape of Trump’s head.
“I came out here today to be in support of my community and show unity and to send a message to Donald Trump and his cabinet that these four years will not be easy,” said University of California, Berkeley, graduate student Iman Sylvain. “We will resist any racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic policies that come our way.”
A few pro-Trump pockets of the state were celebrating.
About 100 people gathered for breakfast at an Inn in Riverside and applauded when Trump finished the oath of office.
“I feel safer already,” 63-year-old Victoria Hargrave told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
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Jocelyn Gecker reported from San Francisco. Associated Press reporters Janie Har in San Francisco and Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles contributed to this story.
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