NEW YORK (AP) - A few hundred protesters lined up Thursday along Manhattan’s West Side Highway to jeer Donald Trump’s motorcade as he made his first trip home to New York since becoming president of the United States.
Trump sped by just before 7 p.m. on his way to attend a dinner with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard the USS Intrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier that is now a museum.
The crowd booed and chanted “New York hates you!” over drums and tambourines.
Some Trump supporters were also on hand to cheer him on.
New York was the scene of several huge demonstrations against Trump in the early days of the Republican’s presidency. Thursday’s rally was a much smaller affair.
Protesters in several tightly-controlled pens of demonstrators near the Intrepid held signs saying “Dump Trump.” Some passing cars honked in support.
“We want him to know the resistance remains, even in his hometown,” said Ruthie Adler, 30, a Manhattan waitress.
Barbara Good, 58, of Manhattan, said she has been a veteran of street demonstrations since the Vietnam War.
“Even if it doesn’t change anything, it’s still a force for good,” she said.
Some demonstrators yelled “shame!” at people dressed in tuxedos and gowns who appeared to be headed to the dinner, which was being held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, a World War II naval battle.
A small group of Trump supporters also gathered along the roadway, holding signs that said, “Thank God for Trump” and “Deport illegal aliens.”
The group broke out in cheers of “U.S.A!” and “We love Trump!”
“We’ve got his back,” said Grace Vasquez, a New York City native.
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