Donald Trump inauguration: Cheers and boos as Trump greets crowd on parade route

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk briefly with their son Barron on the inauguration parade route in Washington, Jan 20, 2017. PHOTO: NYTIMES
Trump waves as he walks with his wife Melania (left) along Pennsylvania Ave. during the Inaugural Parade. PHOTO: EPA
Secret Service agents walk alongside US President Donald Trump's limousine as he participates in the inaugural parade after his swearing in, Jan 20, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Donald Trump met with cheers - and some boos - on Friday (Jan 20) as he stepped out of his limousine to walk briefly along the inaugural parade route in Washington.

Holding hands with First Lady Melania, and accompanied by his young son Barron, Trump waved to supporters as he walked along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue near the Trump Hotel - where protesters had unfurled a giant banner reading "Shame."

Moments earlier, the President drove past a crowd of protesters chanting anti-Trump slogans and waving banners reading: "Try to deserve this office," "Obama cares, Trump scares," or "Make America Sane Again."

A deafening roar rose from the protesters gathered at the city's Navy Memorial Plaza as the presidential motorcade drove by.

"Not my president! Not my president!" they yelled, as the pro-Trump crowd in bleachers across the street chanted "USA! USA!"

The protesters pressed forward, waving their signs, as police manning the barricades kept out a watchful eye.

"The only way to change things is to get involved," said Nina Orezzoli, 39, a creative executive at an ad agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in town for the protests.

Throngs of anti-Trump protesters have converged on the US capital, as the 70-year-old Trump, his supporters and top dignitaries gathered on the National Mall for his inauguration.

Most of the noisy protests - including those by an array of anti-racist, feminist, LGBT, pro-immigration, anti-war and marijuana legalisation groups - were peaceful.

But violence broke out on the fringes as masked, black-clad protesters carrying anarchist flags smashed windows and scuffled with riot police just blocks away from the parade route, leading to more than 90 arrests.

"To those of you visiting Washington, DC, we welcome you but we cannot allow you to destroy our neighbourhoods," city mayor Muriel Bowser said on Twitter.

Trump and his wife emerged again from the presidential limousine known as "The Beast" near the White House to cheers from supporters in the parade reviewing stand, walking for a brief stretch before getting back in the car.

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