Politics & Government

PHOTOS: As World Watches Trump Become President, Protests And Some Celebrations

By Hannah Bloch

Published January 20, 2017 at 2:52 PM CST

Matt Dunham

"Build Bridges Not Walls," reads a banner held by demonstrators on London's Tower Bridge to protest Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president on Friday.

As Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president, protests, demonstrations — and a few celebrations — were underway in cities around the world.

In London, demonstrators holding anti-Trump signs gathered outside the U.S. Embassy on Friday evening. Earlier in the day, huge banners saying "Build Bridges Not Walls" were hung across the city's bridges, part of a U.K. campaign that that began after Trump was elected in November.

Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Friday evening.

In Berlin, protesters gathered outside the headquarters of a far-right party, the Alternative for Germany, whose leader, Frauke Petry, has been effusive in her praise of Trump.

Protesters attend an anti-Trump demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Alternative for Germany, a far-right party in Berlin, on Friday.

Many Israelis were supportive of Trump, who has nominated a supporter of West Bank settlements as his ambassador. Trump has also spoken out in favor of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a move would be provocative and anger Palestinians — who held protests in the West Bank.

Thomas Coex / AFP/Getty Images

AFP/Getty Images

On a building under construction in Jerusalem, a banner bears a message of congratulations for Trump, along with an offer of work.

Palestinian protesters demonstrate against Trump and the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, near the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, on Friday.

Demonstrators in the Philippines burned U.S. flags and rallied against Trump outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila. They demanded an end to U.S. troop presence in the Philippines. Trump has praised the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, whose ongoing anti-drug campaign has left more than 5,000 dead since last June.

Elsewhere, Trump's new role was celebrated. In New Delhi, right-wing Hindu supporters of the new U.S. president celebrated even before the inauguration by draping a garland of marigolds on Trump's photo on Thursday.

In Russia, says NPR's Lucian Kim, "People welcome Trump." But, he notes, "Russians actually have very little information on Trump, and they hear someone who's saying the U.S. should just get along with Russia — what's not to like about that?"

Protesters in Manila confront riot police as they try to march to the U.S. Embassy for a rally to coincide with the inauguration of President-elect Trump on Friday. Left-wing and Muslim activists have asked President Rodrigo Duterte to keep his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of the U.S.

Vishnu Gupta (right), head of India's Hindu Sena group, offers sweets to a garlanded poster of Trump in New Delhi on Thursday.

Trump himself had little to say about the world outside the United States in his inauguration speech.

"We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world — but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first," Trump said. "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones — and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth."

Saturday will bring more demonstrations, with the Women's March in D.C. and others like it around the world — one is even planned for the Antarctic Peninsula.