Inauguration Day Protests: Demonstrators March in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL — Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of downtown Chicago on Friday, disrupting traffic throughout the night as they protested the inauguration of President Donald Trump hours after he was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president.

The participants of Friday's rally and march that began in the shadow of Trump International Hotel and Tower, 401 N. Wabash Ave., were made up of people who had been involved in earlier anti-Trump events and activities around the city, such as the "Resist Trump" protest at Daley Plaza and the student walkout at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Although the rally and march were scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., a small group of demonstrators began gathering at Wabash Avenue and Wacker Drive at around 3 p.m. A little less than an hour later, the crowd had grown to about a hundred participants, holding homemade placards and chanting, "Not my president" and "Keep your tiny hands away from my underpants," a rallying cry created and posted online by singer-songwriter Fiona Apple.

WATCH: Patch video from the scene of the demonstration:

Police blocked off Wabash Avenue at Wacker Drive and Hubbard Street, keeping the Chicago River between protesters and Trump Tower. Officers also were limiting foot traffic across the Wabash Avenue bridge, forcing some pedestrians to cross the river at Michgian Avenue or State Street. Police initially turned away protesters who attempted to march down Michigan Avenue early in the evening.

Protest by Tuba

By 5 p.m., the crowd had swollen to hundreds and filled Wacker Drive with marchers moving east toward the lake. As the crowd moved south down Wacker, a band known as Sousaphones Against Hate played "The Imperial March," better known as Darth Vader's theme from the "Star Wars" movies.

The Trump Tower protest Friday was a reunion of sorts for the politically motivated musical group, said member Mark Hiebert, of Chicago. Started by Steve Duncan and consisting of Chicago-area musicians, Sousaphones Against Hate originally formed as a unique way to protest the then-Republican presidential nominee's campaign visit to Bolingbrook in September, Hiebert said.

But why choose the sousaphone as their instrument to bring about poltical change?

"These things are loud and make a lot of noise, and they're something we have a passion about," he said.

Hiebert hopes Friday's performance at Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue is the group's swan song, eluding to the possibilities that Trump would leave office either through impeachment or resignation.

By 5:30 p.m., thousands of demonstrators continued to march, looping around the block, south down Wabash, west on Randolph, north on State and East on Wacker back to Wabash. Some broke into chants, including, "Donald Trump, go away, racist, sexist, anti-gay."

The marchers' route kept shifting throughout the night as demonstrators snaked through a variety of downtown streets, including Michigan Avenue, Lower Wacker Drive, Randolph Street and Lake Shore Drive. Chicago police units — either on foot, horseback, bicycle or even Segway — escorted the procession in order to block off and direct traffic.

Despite protesters clogging major city arteries during peak times when drivers were either desperately trying to get home to end the work week or excitedly trying to go out to kick off the weekend, most motorists seemed supportive of the event, honking horns as they passed by or shouting encouragement through rolled-down windows.

A Time to Teach

Not all the participants in Friday's event attended because they wanted to exercise their right to assembly or express their outrage over the Trump administration's White House agenda on issues, such as immigration and health care. Some adults saw the rally and march as a learning experience for the younger generation.

A small group of seventh- and eighth-graders from Polaris Charter Academy in Chicago hit the streets with protesters to ask them about their hopes and fears for a Trump presidency as part of a podcast they're producing. The middle-schoolers also plan to go to Saturday's Women's March on Chicago with those same questions.

Because the podcast will be about examining both sides of politcal issues, they also want to ask the president's supporters the same questions they're posing to his detractors.

Laura Schofield, of Chicago, also saw Friday's event as a potential learning experience for three of her children — daughter Grainne, 12, and sons Tadhg, 8, and Oisin, 10. During the election, the single mom would talk to her kids about some of the issues surrounding Trump's campaign that bothered them, such as his treatment of women. Attending the rally was just an extension of those earlier discussion, Schofield said.

But there was another reason, according to Schofield, for participating in one of the many demonstrations around the country that shows the world — to paraphrase one of Friday's popular chants — what democracy looks like.

"I think being a part of history is cool," she said.

Relatively Peaceful Protest

Chicago police units began gathering in front of Trump Tower a little before 1 p.m., only a couple hours after the president was sworn in. Metal barricades were set up around the perimeter of the property earlier Friday morning.

As the police presence increased outside the building, the hotel's Rebar lounge held an inauguration watch party for Trump supporters who wanted to spend their lunch breaks watching the coverage of the event on large-screen TVs.

Despite — or perhaps because of — the heavy police presence at the building and following marchers, the protest remained relatively peaceful, as of around 10 p.m. There were a few reports of confrontations posted online, but nothing verified.

Vandals did damage the windows of a PNC Bank branch along the march route at 307 N. Michigan Ave. Police officers, however, remained clustered in front of some of the stores and shops along Michigan, between Wacker Drive and South Water Street.

One demonstrator also was arrested after lighting an anti-Trump poster on fire, according to WBBM-AM.

More Patch Inauguration Coverage:

• Donald Trump's Inauguration: Chicago Protests, Marches Will Greet New President
• Watch Replay: Donald Trump Sworn In, Makes First Address as President Of United States
• Donald Trump's Inauguration Speech Full Text: 'America Will Start Winning Like Never Before'
• Presidential Inauguration Protests: 90 Arrested In Washington; Demonstrations Pop Up Across Country

In other parts of the city, community organizers and activists have been holding separate events and activities designed to speak out against the potential agenda of the newly sworn-in chief executive's administration when it comes to immigration, women's rights, health care and other issues. (Check out Patch's story that looks at some of the protests being held Friday in Chicago.)

Patch will continue to update this story.

Last updated at 6:10 p.m. Jan. 20.

Protesters began their march outside Trump International Hotel and Tower, 401 N. Wabash Ave., on Friday, Jan. 20, as part of planned demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump's inauguration,. (Photos by Joe Vince)

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