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Updated at 1pm Friday
DONALD TRUMP’S INAUGURATION takes place today, with the swearing-in ceremony happening at 5pm Irish time. It will be followed by the 45th US President’s much-anticipated inaugural address, which his advisors have said will aim to heal the politicals divisions formed during the long, bitter White House campaign.
Protests are being planned across the world to mark Trump’s ascension to the most powerful office in the world. Organisers of the inaugural events in Washington are planning for around 25,000 to 30,000 protesters – on a par with the number that turned out to protest Nixon’s presidency at the start of his second term.
One event alone, planned for tomorrow, is expected to draw up to 200,000 people – organisers have insisted, however, that the Women’s March on Washington is not strictly an anti-Trump demonstration, but a nonpartisan event aimed at expanding family leave and maintaining access to abortion and birth control.
Similar women’s marches have been organised in other cities, including London and Sydney, while here at home protests have been organised for Dublin and Galway on Saturday.
“The march is an open forum for all groups who have been marginalised or discriminated against,” organisers said.
We support all of you and want to walk together for recognition and change.
Today
A banner was already unveiled today in Dublin in protest at Trump’s presidency.
Campaigners organised together by the European Network Against Racism Ireland (ENAR Ireland) gathered on Ha’penny Bridge to unveil it.
The banner read:
Bridges not Walls. Love Trumps Hate.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie at the protest, Aga Wiesyk, network officer with ENAR Ireland, said that the Irish government should challenge Trump’s presidency.
“I think that Ireland has quite a good record in human rights and protecting human rights,” she said.
“I think this should be continued and the government should not support any of this hateful anti-immigration rhetoric.
And they should say it to trump that they won’t be participating in that kind of hate mongering.
Another Dublin protest, supported by left-wing groups including the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit party, also takes place outside the Central Bank Plaza at 5pm this evening to coincide with the swearing-in.
Organisers have said that representatives from feminist, pro-choice and anti-racism organisations will address the crowd.
In Cork, People Before Profit have arranged a protest to take place between 5.30 and 6.30pm this evening at Daunt Square.
And back in Dublin, Friends of the Earth have arranged what they’re calling an “alternative approach to the inauguration of President Trump” by choosing to celebrate “all the positive initiatives happening in the world”.
The group is arranging a screening of the French documentary Demain at Filmbase, Temple Bar, at 6pm – and they’re reminding anyone interested that the venue has a BYOB policy.
According to Friends of the Earth:
Demain is a hugely positive, affirming and inspirational film, exploring creative solutions in the fields of food, energy, transport, economics and education. It visits permaculture farms, urban agriculture projects, community-owned renewable projects, local currencies, creative schools, ambitious recycling projects.
Viewing party
Elsewhere, an official viewing reception of the inauguration will be hosted inside the US Embassy in Dublin 4 from mid-afternoon. Invitations to cover the event were sent out to media organisations during the week.
Current US ambassador Kevin O’Malley won’t be in attendance however. The Obama-appointee will officially step down from his role as the Democrat’s tenure comes to an end.
There was an almost two-year vacancy in the role of US Ambassador here prior to O’Malley’s appointment in 2014 – but, speaking to TheJournal.ie this week, he said he was hopeful there wouldn’t be such a gap this time around.
“There’s no way to predict that. I suspect there wouldn’t be, I don’t know,” O’Malley said.
There’s a relatively detailed vetting process and the Senate confirmation process can take a while, but I’m optimistic [there won’t be as long a wait].
Additional reporting Orla Ryan and Cormac Fitzgerald.
Any more Trump protests (or parties) we missed? Send details to daragh@thejournal.ie and I’ll update the piece.
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Good luck to judge Kavanagh.
@Martin: Good luck see you later you mean!
@specialsue: But, your comment wasn’t about abortion being curtailed. You pretty much insinuated that women had no authority over themselves. Your comment used abortion as a false pretense for two purposes: the first being to ensure women know they’re place is beneath a man and the second to try and stir as much trouble as possible. Your comment added nothing to the debate over Kavanaugh, either pro or against, and was simply trolling and, hence, per this site’s own rules which are readily available, was deleted.
@Martin: he sure deserves a rub of the green after the witch hunt the democrats subjected him to in last fortnight/ thankfully justice has prevailed.
@Martin: put in a “u” and we ll disown the illsuited person
@john mc carthy: Well done Brett
Great day for America and a better day for the pro life movement .
@DrRexButts: Trump did not make the rules .
@Anthony Gallagher: the democrat party did when they got rid of the 60 vote rule to push through Obama’s agenda.
Unbelievable that they created the stick that’s now beating them.
@Anthony Gallagher: a better day for the ‘pro life’ movement ? All that will happen in certain backward states, is that there will be more poor women leaving their newborn babies at doorways or there will be tens of thousands more kids that will be growing up in the corrupt foster care system.But look,there is good news,which is that the rich can fly into the next state and have a safe,legal abortion.Just like they did before Roe v Wade..
@Fiasco99: And there will come a time when the Democrats will hold not only the presidency but also the two houses,and there would be nothing to stop them from increasing the number of Supreme Court Judges to 11..
@Anthony Gallagher: Comments like this make me embarrassed to be pro-life.
Hey the journal, I see my comment was deleted. What a joke, that I cannot express my opinion that the belief is sky fairies is ridiculous.
@West Cork Lad: Yes there would, the constitution! It was altered to make it 9 after Roosevelt ( a democrat) tried doing that very thing in the 1930’s).
@Richard Smyth: Where does it state in the Constitution that there can only be 9 Supreme Court judges ?
@angryDuck: sky fairies is getting a bit old at this stage, try to be a bit more imaginative.
Guilty or not, this is good for both men and women, women will be encouraged to come forward sooner, as in right after an attack, so that evidence and witness accounts may be recorded more accurately. And it’s great for men because it will dissuade spurious accusations with, in this case, a political undertone.
Times are changing, but rarely does such a shift in attitudes and society come without it’s martyrs.
@Lambo Moonski: The only reasonable comment on here
@Herbert: I disagree, so is yours sir
@Lambo Moonski: now now you’re about correct.
@Herbert: You forgot(or the spellchecker changed) to put ‘un’ in front of reasonable, IMHO
@KingCrisp: oh? Explain….
@KingCrisp: Well said.That Lamb guy & his bff Herbie,obviously doesn’t understand about the effects that a sexual assault has on the victims.
@West Cork Lad: What sexual assault?
@West Cork Lad: Who was the real victim in this case?
@Lambo Moonski: Is it the way that a) you can’t see your opening post,
or
b) that you don’t understand what you wrote
Herbie ; previous,present and future sexual assault victims.
@West Cork Lad: you still haven’t pointed out what part of what I said you have difficulty with. This is the best outcome for female victims and innocent men.
@Lambo Moonski: Guilty or not, this is good for both men and women, women will be encouraged to come forward sooner, as in right after an attack, so that evidence and witness accounts may be recorded more accurately. <- what planet do you live in? First of all,have you ever heard of the word 'trauma' ? It's one of the main feelings that a woman/man has after they have been sexually assaulted.Secondly ;how about the word 'shame' ? It too,is another huge emotion that victims of a sexual assault feels after they have been violated…I could go on,but are you starting to get my drift ?
Trauma can take do many psychological things to a victim
Shame can stop a victim from going to the relevant authorities
I would ask you to read up on why victims of sexual abuse don’t disclose their abuse until many years later..
@West Cork Lad: where’s the prof he assaulted her?
@Lambo Moonski:go and read what i copied and pasted from you…Hint; i’m not even commenting on the outcome of that FBI “investigation” ..
@West Cork Lad: Sorry bud, this isn’t a perfect world, but it’s improving. There’s plenty of injustice in this world, but if this man was to lose his career and reputation based on a politically motivated accusation with ZERO proof, then what kind of a pandora’s box would be opening for future accusations? The environment and landscape is improving by the day for women to come forward sooner. Also, this will help to prevent attacks by people in authority and power. But if we have a situation where a woman can destroy a man with a mere accusation and no proof, what do you think will happen? Because you have your gut instinct, and allow your judgement to be clouded by emotion you’re incapable of understanding the consequences. Typical mob mentality, just the sort of reaction desired by the ones pulling the strings in this example.
@Lambo Moonski: you obviously do not/or don’t want to understand how very hard it is for ‘any’ person to come forward after they have been sexually assaulted.
‘zero proof’ ? -what kind of ‘proof’ would the likes of you require ? Video ?Audio? Photos ?
Even Collins was saying that she was more than likely ‘sexually assaulted’ ,but by someone else.Imagine that ? Some innocent guy is being blamed by her …wow!
Perhaps the Americans like Trump more than we think. The British seem to like BREXIT a bit more than we think, or at least are being led to believe by the media.
The powers that be are keeping Trump in office and in the UK the next Prime Minister could be Boris. The very man who gave them BREXIT.
@2thFairy: BREXIT
@2thFairy: Supreme Court judges are not elected by the people, nor are UK pre ministers.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: but the person elected by the people chose a person that has a similiar way of thinking and same rhetoric etc etc trump was hardly ever going to support a free lovin’ hippie progressive judge to the supreme court, c’mon now.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: nor are our European leaders. Sooo whats your point
@2thFairy: weirdly true
Irrespective of whether he did what he’s accused of or not, his conduct at the hearings has shown him to illsuited to high office of any kind.
@Herbert: It’s a well-structured, thoughtful and highly articulate point you’ve made. But I’ll decline your kind invitation on this occasion.
@Greg Ward: Awh…. Herbert’s request for me to ‘p.i.s.s off’ has been deleted. Boooo.
@Greg Ward: so, if we cant make accusations stick, we will use the “i dont like your tone” excuse. Demand the same outcome as if he was guilty, that is, no job. As his behaviour during the last week is open to different opinions, we will agree to differ. Thankfully the majority of senetors do not agree with you.
@Tony Harris: That’s how the Left works, just look at Brexit and the campaigning for another referendum
@Greg Ward:
Funnily enough you lot were very quite when Bill Clinton was POTUS and Juanita Broaddrick was pointing fingers at him.
@Otranto: ‘you lot’? What ‘lot’ might that be?
So America has once again chosen to impose the most conservative, restricting, punishing regimes and laws on anyone that isn’t white and male. Designed and forced upon them by the most personally priveleged, immoral and irresponsible. I hope Christine Ford feels at least somewhat vindicated in her bravery. I hope she has inspired more victims of abuse to stand up to their abusers.
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: I know – it’s wonderful!
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: seems to be a backlash by white conservative supremacists to Obama’s era. America is great again with economy on up and that seems to be his get out of any jail card
@john mc carthy: Pesky whites and their majority in demographics
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: in the light of what her ex-partner said of her it may just inspire people to lie for political reasons. Holding her up as a shining example of a victim might not be a good idea
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: How do you know she is a victim of abuse?
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: what laws do you speak up that favour white man over anybody else?
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: What laws do you speak of that favour one group above anybody else? I mean actual laws!
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: what laws favour one group over another? And I mean laws!
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: what law do you speak off that favours one group over another? And I mean laws
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: what law do you speak of that favours one group over another? And I mean law!
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: what law do you speak out that night was one group over in the other room? And I mean law
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: what law do you speak of that favours was one group over an other group? And I mean law
@james s: jesus relax there, you have had 1 to many ballygowans.
There was a time when segregation ended that america introduced jim crow laws
@Lisa Byrne: Lol, to be fair the same thing happens with me. I get the “error posting comment” notification
@Herbert: Only yesterday you said it was progressives where authoritarian zero-tolerance “the increasingly authoritarian zero-tolerance progressives are losing their minds because there is a growing movement to restore a normal balance.”
Now you have celebrated the opposite “So America has once again chosen to impose the most conservative, restricting, punishing regimes and laws on anyone that isn’t white and male. Designed and forced upon them by the most personally priveleged, immoral and irresponsible”
“I know – it’s wonderful!”
Juggling juxtapositions is the order of the day.
@Herbert: I am a crisp and a king amongst my brethren. What is a ‘Jake’. Is that something like a rake, or possibly a hake or a cake. Why are you shouting and insulting me, a humble crisp. Even though I am the King of all the crisps, i don’t let that get in the way of been a humble crisp.
Why do you call me a “Jake boy” and why do you want me to sleep. Why don’t you like crisps. The last crisp to insult me was Mr Tatyo. Did he put you up to this. Mr Tatyo is a bold angry crisp
@Herbert: Your confusing a crisp with a rascal, who is Dizzee
@james s: the legacy of the Jim Crow laws still have an effect on black people today.But anyway,what do you make of the stricter ID voting law that some Southern states have tried to bring in ? Do you think that they might now try get it past a Conservative controlled Supreme court ?And if they did,what group of people would they be focusing on ? Would love to hear your thoughts on this ?
@West Cork Lad: how would stricter ID for voting affect any one group more than another?
@Seamus Mac: Have to go out,but i’ll leave this here with you..
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/voter-id-laws-supreme-court-north-carolina.html
@West Cork Lad: wow, shocking stuff
@Seamus Mac: It sure is…
There’s a lot more that the likes of James haven’t looked into..Another one is Florida,where they don’t allow people that have a felony record a vote,even after they have been released from prison.You can read it here ;
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/01/15/florida-felon-voting-ban-dates-back-jim-crow-unfinished-business-civil-rights-movement/1033317001/
@Seamus Mac: It sure is…
There’s a lot more that the likes of James haven’t looked into..Another one is Florida,where they don’t allow people that have a felony record a vote,even after they have been released from prison.You can read it here ;
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/01/15/florida-felon-voting-ban-dates-back-jim-crow-unfinished-business-civil-rights-movement/1033317001/
@West Cork Lad: I don’t know, maybe it was focused on illegal immigriants!!
@Richard Smyth: you are right when you say that you don’t know.But look,at least you have been consistent on not knowing things..
If this means that this story which has zero impact on the lives of Irish people stops being covered by the media and commentariat here then it is good news.
I really have to ask – what has this got to do with anything here in Ireland ?
In the past some religious people where that extreme they left to settle in the US. This was in the setting of where the normal religion of the day, would be considered extreme by today’s standards. This is now the religious theocracy that is going to be the rule of law in the US. They are forcing theocratic laws on all people. Luckily Ireland is a shining beacon for humanity, whereas the US, sadly is the opposite IHMO
“religious people are fleeing the country like the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower because they are being denied the freedom to live in accordance with their beliefs”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8610141/Flashback-the-Pilgrims-who-set-sail-on-the-Mayflower-to-escape-religious-persecution.html
@KingCrisp: I think you need to stop watching “the handmaids tale”. Have you watched it more than once?
Kavanaugh will be figure head for every man falsely accused of rape or railroaded by baseless charges.
The Dems have created a monster
So depressing ………. he has now been investigated by the FBI seven times !!!!
What is with the u in kavanuagh
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