Inauguration Day 2017 Schedule Will Work Around Anti-Trump Protests
Inauguration Day 2017 is fast approaching, and the January 20 event on Capitol Hill in Washington proves to be an historic event, with Donald Trump and his security team bracing for anti-Trump protests in DC and around the country. According to the NY Times,
The National Park Service, which controls much of the public land in Washington, from sidewalks to the National Mall, has already seen permit requests from groups hoping to host events both for and against Mr. Trump skyrocket to 23. In typical inauguration years, the agency receives just a handful of requests.
The Trump team shocked polling predictions and media alike when he defeated Hillary Clinton in the electoral college vote on November 8, but lining up performances by artists has proved even more challenging. The President-elect has had difficulty securing the traditional pre-inauguration line up of stars, and even acts that support Trump have backed out of the Inauguration Day 2017 schedule for fear of backlash from fans who would disapprove of the incoming president.
Here’s the lineup of performers
According to Heavy.com, three acts are slated to perform so far.
- America’s Got Talent star, 16-year-old Jackie Evancho will sing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’
- The Radio City Rockettes will appear (though specifics have yet to be released)
- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will sing at the swearing-in ceremony.
The difficulty in securing acts for Inauguration Day 2017 is unprecedented in modern times, and the apparent anti-Trump protests from Hollywood performers has drawn criticism from Donald Trump on Twitter.
The so-called “A” list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016
The last two American presidents, Barack Obama and George Bush both faced opposition protests on their Inauguration Day, but neither were short on musical acts. Bush saw performances by Wayne Newton, Brooks and Dunn, and Ricky Martin, and Obama saw scores of acts ranging from cellist Yo-Yo Ma, to George Lopez and Jamie Foxx.
The Official Inauguration Day 2017 Schedule:
While the Inauguration is on Friday, January 20, pre-inaugural events kick off Thursday and finish Saturday with a prayer ceremony. According to wtop.com, the schedule looks like this:
Friday, Jan. 20:
Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony
US CapitolInaugural Parade
Pennsylvania Avenue
Ticket required for special viewing areas.
No ticket required for general public viewing areas.Inaugural Balls
Ticket required — limited availability.
Schedule of Protests
The largest protest expected comes from the Women’s March, and Politico.com reports that “Organizers of the Women’s March on Washington estimate 200,000 people will participate in its inauguration weekend protest,” a rally against what they believe to be Donald Trump’s alleged mistreatment of women and the accusations against him for having “objectified” women based on appearance.
Most notably perhaps was Trump’s comments referring to Megyn Kelly, current Fox News anchor, after a series of questions during a primary debate. In a post-debate interview, Trump was quoted as saying she was “bleeding from her wherever.”
In addition, no local high school marching bands from the DC area, nor local colleges will be performing in the parade, seemingly in protest. News.Mic is reporting that “Answer Coalition is planning another protest, scheduled for 7 a.m. Jan 20 at Freedom Plaza.”
Protests Around the Country
Apart from individual and organized protests on the Mall at Washington, DC and Capitol Hill, there has been a call for protests at the state level, perhaps most poignantly in Chicago, IL, cited by Patch.com as “Resist Trump: Occupy Inauguration Chicago,” scheduled from 3:00-5:00 PM on Friday.
Former presidential candidate and US Senator Bernie Sanders is calling for anti-Trump protests in his state of Vermont and around the country, and there is purportedly a movement for a nationwide “walk-out” of high school and college students across the US.
Protests are nothing new to Inauguration Day and 2017 will be no exception. If you’re travelling to DC to support or protest Trump, police are asking people to act civilly, and the NY Times reports that,
More than 3,200 police officers from departments across the country and about 8,000 members of the National Guard will be on hand to help with basic crowd and traffic control around the city. An additional 5,000 active duty service members will be on hand to serve in ceremonial capacities.
The event will be aired live on most major TV networks.
[Featured Image By J. Scott Applewhite/AP Images]
