“Deplore-a-Ball” Weathers Protests, DC Readies For Trump

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2017/01/20/deplore-a-ball-weathers-protests-dc-readies-for-trump/

WASHINGTON D.C. — The much-ballyhooed “Deplore-a-Ball” pre-inauguration party went off without a hitch Thursday night, despite protesters’ best efforts to disrupt access to the downtown event, as America’s capital city braces itself for Republican Donald Trump’s incoming administration.

An evening that saw thousands descend upon the Lincoln Memorial for a grand welcoming concert featuring the likes of country music star Toby Keith also featured a massive fireworks display, as Trump addressed a crowd of supporters, telling them they wouldn’t be “forgotten anymore.”

And despite threats of massive disruption from protest organizers who vowed to shut down Trump supporters’ “Deplore-a-Ball” gala, held at the National Press Club, police managed to keep the most active protesters at bay:

There was, however, chaos at the start, as Deplore-a-Ball attendees struggled to enter the building amid a gauntlet of protesters:

Protesters later elected to march through the streets:

Not everyone left the scene unscathed. Kassy Dillon, a contributor to the Campus Reform website, recorded a brief broadcast from the scene and recalled some of the taunts she heard from protesters:

Dillon later told New Boston Post that she was still smarting from the tear gas police used to disperse the protesters.

Trump is slated to take the oath of office at noon on Friday.