Dozens arrested in chaotic DC protests as Trump assumes power

Just hours after Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the 45th President of the United States, police and protesters met in a chaotic confrontation blocks away from the inaugural parade route in downtown Washington D.C.

While the overwhelming bulk of the inauguration day protests were largely peaceful, a group of several dozen people—many wearing face coverings—confronted a phalanx of Metropolitan Police along K street, and were met in turn by tear gas and flash bang grenades. According to the Washington Post, several protesters threw objects, including bricks and trash cans, at the police.

As the protests continued, a group of people pushed a number of newspaper stands and garbage cans in to the middle of the street, lighting them on fire to form a small makeshift barricade.

Earlier in the day, protesters smashed the windows of several downtown D.C. businesses, including a McDonalds, Starbucks, and a parked limousine.

Police have reportedly arrested at least 95 people as a result of the protests. There is no indication if, or how, Friday’s violence might affect Saturday’s massive Women’s March, which is expecting hundreds of thousands of participants.