NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on Tennessee protests to President Donald Trump’s inauguration (all times local):
5:45 p.m.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says a total of 10 people were arrested after protesters locked themselves to the doors of the state Capitol.
Capt. Tommy Fyke says demonstrators were initially cut free from the door and told they could not block what is a fire exit to the building. But the protesters later chained themselves to the doors again and were arrested.
The protesters had linked arms through PVC pipes wrapped in chicken wire and duct tape. One firefighter cut himself on the chicken wire while removing the pipes from the protesters’ arms.
Fyke says the charge of blocking a fire exit is a misdemeanor.
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3:05 p.m.
State troopers have arrested six protesters who had chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol.
Troopers and firefighters used shears to cut the protesters loose from each other, and they were carried down the building’s southern steps to waiting sheriff’s vehicles while other demonstrators chanted and shouted.
The public entrances to the Capitol were dead-bolted while the protest was going on.
Once the arrested protesters had been driven away, most of the remaining demonstrators left the Capitol steps and headed back to the plaza across the street.
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2:30 p.m.
Demonstrators have chained themselves to doors of the Tennessee Capitol building at a protest of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Authorities are working on extracting the protesters, who also have duct-taped their arms together with tape wrapped around chicken wire and PVC pipes.
A small group of counter-protesters shouted at the demonstrators with a bullhorn, “You’re on the devil’s side. You’re on a highway to hell.”
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12:30 p.m.
Hundreds of people sat in silent protest at a Nashville park while President Donald Trump took the oath of office.
Those gathered at Centennial Park on Friday took a 10-minute pause from talking as they declined to watch or listen to Trump’s swearing in.
Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud. Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders shirts and buttons were scattered throughout the crowd.
Two counter-protesters nearby broke the silence by shouting religious messages into megaphones against homosexuality, abortion, Democrats, feminism and transgender people. Some event attendees responded by surrounding the protesters and singing them songs.
Bruce Dobie, an event organizer, said the only correct response to Trump’s divisive rhetoric is silence.
Dobie says that in silence, we become stronger.
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