WASHINGTON, D.C. – Day two in the afternoon of the Presidential Inauguration. This post covers the Inaugural Parade in photos.
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After eating we headed to the parade route. There were guys all over downtown selling t-shirts, buttons, ball caps, scarves and more. Most of the guys were selling Trump memorabilia but these two had some anti-CNN shirts. Most everything was being sold for $5 to $15. The later it got in the evening the lower the prices dropped.
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After getting off of the Metro, this was the security checkpoint to get onto Pennsylvania Ave. to watch the parade. Luckily the parade started late and we made it in time. I believe this was 12th St. NW or very near there. The security lines moved really quickly. There were metal detectors at all security checkpoints.
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Protesters were scattered all over the area with a large variety of protest signs. Many were too vulgar to photograph. These two were taking a rest from the chanting. Many of the women were there for the Women’s March which took place the next day. Unfortunately we had to leave early Saturday and we were not able to cover that march.
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While waiting on more of the parade to pass I looked up and saw Fox News anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle standing right next to me. She was on the phone trying to figure out how to get to her destination. At one point she tried asking the line of police a question and they sent her down the street. She must have been late because her and the gentleman carrying her dress took off rather quickly.
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I have no story on this character other than the fact that I wanted his glasses. I don’t know if he was a Trump supporter or silent protester. He did have a thing in his ear so he might have even been Secret Service.
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By chance we entered the parade route directly across the street from Trump Hotel which we had seen the day before. A large group of vocal protesters stood just to the left of us. We were told President Trump was supposed to get out of his limo at this location but did not due to concerns about the protesters. This was another area where I had to hold my camera in the air and just shoot when I could.
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Security along the parade route was very heavy. The police were lined up along both sides of Pennsylvania Ave. You could also see snipers on top of just about every roof along the street.
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I honestly believe this is the only photo of President Trump’s limo that I got. You can see it in this guys camera phone. I tried to shoot over the crowd with my DSLR but after looking at my photos I did not get my camera to directly capture his limo. There were so many camera phones in the air I finally shot this guys phone because I thought I saw his limo passing. This limo had the press trucks in front of it and heavy secret service behind it so it had to be his.
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There were many groups of vehicles that passed and it was hard to tell which car had who in it. You could tell which limos had the highest officials and family members because they were surrounded by secret service agents on all sides. This limo passed after President Trump but before Vice President Pence. My guess is it was a Trump family member.
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At one point the crowd thought that the politicians had passed and many people began to leave the parade route. We walked a couple of blocks beyond where we had been standing and you could see the parade route much better. Out of the blue another group of vehicles appeared and it was Vice President Pence. Here he is waving to the onlookers.
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The parade route definitely had a large cast of characters in the crowd. Many of the most colorful were protesters. I’m not sure what this ladies sign said but I’m guessing she was a protester.
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These two were passing each other along the parade route when the gentleman on the right asked to take a photo with Uncle Sam. Everyone was in a festive mood and there were a large number of families with kids.
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This shot is looking east down Pennsylvania Ave. towards the US Capitol. This was the very end of the parade route before it turned north onto 15th St. NW. There was an entire block lined with Highway Patrol Troopers.
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The protesters gathered at Franklin Park the night of the inauguration. They had a stage setup with anti-Trump speakers and musicians. At this point and location everything seemed peaceful.
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On inauguration night we stopped by a random restaurant we happened to be passing two blocks from the White House. It was called Ocean Prime and was very good. They sat us in a large window booth at the corner of 14th St. NW and G St. NW. We were able to watch people dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns walk to assorted balls. We saw protesters in large groups pass by one way while lines of police passed the other way. At one point an interesting character even stopped by to eat.
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I would like to thank everyone that helped me get to the inauguration to cover it for Enid Buzz. Without their help I would not have been able to go. Thanks to my lovely assistant wife that walked 10 miles on Thursday and stood for 6 straight hours on Friday. It was a great 48 hour trip and I highly recommend that everyone try to make it to Washington D.C. at some point in their lives. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it!
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Start from the beginning of the Presidential Inauguration story.
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