NEW YORK/CHICAGO--Renewed protests against U.S. President Donald Trump flared on the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, with grassroots activists vowing to take to the streets in dozens of cities in "Not My President's Day" rallies. Protest leaders had said they expected thousands to rally in about 28 cities ranging from Los Angeles and Chicago to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the latest round of demonstrations to express displeasure with Trump's policies and pronouncements.
In New York, hundreds of protesters stretching at least eight blocks chanted "He cheats, he lies, open up your eyes" near the Trump International Hotel on the edge of Central Park. "I think he's got a mean personality," said marcher Edith Cresmer, a 78-year-old urban planner. "But the worst thing about him is how he incited peoples' fears and pits them against each other."
Luis Llobera, 38, and his wife and baby took a train from Westchester County north of the city attend the Trump protest. "We are not American citizens but our son is," he said as his wife cradled their 7-month-old, Atlas. "We want to make sure our son has a government that is right and good."
Organizers of the New York rally said they opposed the Trump agenda, including proposed cuts in federal spending and construction of a wall along the border with Mexico. "Donald Trump is literally our president, but figuratively, he has attacked every value New Yorkers embody and does not represent our interests," organizers said on Facebook.
The idea for the Presidents Day protests originated in Los Angeles, where about 4,300 people had said on Facebook they would attend a City Hall rally, according to organizers, and it spread to other locales via social media. In downtown Chicago, about 1,200 people gathered across the Chicago River from the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Signs spotted in the crowd included “My body My Choice” and “Jesus was a refugee,” references to Trump's anti-abortion stance and his efforts to stop admission of refugees.
