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Protests And Pride In The Northwest As Trump Takes Office

The inauguration of President Donald Trump brought protests and pride from across Washington today. In western Washington, we found a mix:

Protesting The New President

In Seattle, marchers left from Capitol Hill and the city's Central District, headed toward downtown's Westlake Park, where a large crowd rallied.

Stella, a student at Seattle's Nova High School who didn't want to give her last name, was wearing a button that said "I will do my best to stop any bigot who messes with you." She marched to Westlake Park with a group of protesters. 

"I mostly just want to show my support to the groups and minorities," she said, "and show that I am an ally and I will stand by and fight for what is right."

In Olympia, about 200 people gathered on the steps of the Capitol. Police also said people marched through the capital city, with some protesters blocking roads and railroad tracks for a period of time.

But there were also celebrations.

Watching With Pride

About 15 Trump supporters gathered at a pub in Renton to watch the inauguration ceremony. They were elated.

"I am so proud of being an American, being able to say that I am a conservative," said Maria Orth, who organized the gathering. "I've been hiding in the closet, in a way."

trump_supporters_renton_012017.mp3
88.5's Paula Wissel, talking with "All Things Considered" host Ed Ronco about Trump supporters watching the inauguration from Renton.

Many of those gathered said they hope Trump upholds what they call "traditional" American values -- especially through appointing a conservative justice to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Reactions to the inauguration of Donald Trump were displayed across Western Washington. This report is a sampling. We'll continue our coverage into the weekend, including a women's march planned for Seattle on Saturday. Listen for it on Weekend Edition Saturday, Weekend Edition Sunday, and Morning Edition on Monday, on 88.5 knkx.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.
Ed Ronco is a former KNKX producer and reporter and hosted All Things Considered for seven years.