WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 – Row upon row of uniformed police held back protesters along the Presidential parade route, which extended two miles from Capitol Hill to the White House.
A local producer supplied 3480 linear feet of concrete Barriers for traffic and crowd control for the inaugural event. In the meantime, protesters lined President George W. Bushs inaugural parade route, booing loudly and holding signs that said Bush lost and Hail to the thief.
It turned out to be the largest inaugural protests since 1973, when tens of thousands of marchers protested Nixons Vietnam War policies as he was sworn in for his second term.
Organizers of the Bush protests anticipated 20,000 demonstrators; police did not release actual numbers. Although most of the demonstrators were peaceful, if noisy, authorities arrested many people.
Demonstrators were spread throughout the crowd and managed to form heavy clusters in some spots as they jeered boisterously and sometimes profanely. At one spot near the Ronald Reagan Building, they took over an entire grandstand.
Three hours earlier, Bush raised his hand to receive the presidential oath from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who presided over the fractious court battle that ultimately ended last years election and effectively named Bush the victor. As he was sworn in, Bushs hand rested on a Bible first used by George Washington at his first inaugural in 1789.
George W. Bush became the nations 43rd president Saturday, promising to build a single nation of justice and opportunity. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation, Bush said. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.
Bush, only the second president in U.S. history to hold the same office as his father, said he will not accept nor allow a situation in which our differences run so deep it seems we share a continent but not a country.
Some of Bush’s supporters looked dejected as protesters yelled at Bushs limousine: Racist, sexist anti-gay: Bush and Cheney go away. A couple of protesters threw bottles and tomatoes before the presidential limousine arrived, and one hurled an egg that landed near the motorcade. The motorcade sped up at one point, and Secret Service agents had to hop on a limousines running board to keep up.
Bush began his day with a trip to church and a visit to the White House for coffee with Bill Clinton, his predecessor, and Al Gore, his opponent in the 2000 election, who returns to private life after his failed effort to succeed Clinton.
Gore, who beat Bush in the popular vote but lost by one vote in the Electoral College, appeared somber, showing little emotion as he sat through the ceremony.
As he left the Capitol, Gore said, I thought it was good. Im fine. Bush thanked the outgoing vice president for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace.
An estimated 500,000 people attended the inauguration, including 1,000 dignitaries, among them members of Congress, the Supreme Court and the diplomatic corps.
The Bushes have been staying at Blair House, the official U.S. guest residence across from the White House, as they await their move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
One person who was not in Washington on Saturday was outgoing Defense Secretary William Cohen, chosen to fulfill the custom of leaving one Cabinet member away from the inaugural ceremonies in case of an attack or catastrophe. Cohen, a Maine Republican, and his wife, Janet, were moved to a location far from Washington early Saturday, officials said.
