As Donald Trump took his oath of office and once again vowed to “make America great again,” a group of Republicans packed inside a restaurant on East Colfax Avenue in Denver stood and recited the mantra along with the new president.
“It’s nice to have a president who loves America!” one person shouted from inside Pete’s Greek Town Cafe, where a crowd of mostly older, white people gathered.
Two miles down the road and almost simultaneously, a lively protest stepped off the state Capitol steps. A young, racially diverse and mostly female grouped formed the front line of marchers who carried effigies of the new president and waved signs calling out racism, sexism and greed.
“Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Donald Trump must go!” the protesters chanted as they walked along 17th Street and Denver police held traffic so they could safely pass.
The division in Denver over Trump’s election reflected the national sentiment. In Washington, protesters clashed with police as the inaugural parade wound its way through the nation’s capital. Protests also erupted in other cities, including Milwaukee, Chicago and Portland, Ore.
Most of Denver’s protesters marched peacefully, although a few tried — unsuccessfully — to incite violence. Denver police did not report any injuries or arrests.
At Pete’s, friends Suzanne Charrin and Herb White, each a financial consultant, said Trump’s election signaled a needed change. In the past, the two were at odds politically — White voted for Barack Obama — but this time they agreed.
The pendulum had swung too far, White said.
“The more I listened to the campaign rhetoric, the more optimistic I felt,” he said.
White, like many at Pete’s, said the protesters had a right to express themselves, but he said it is time for the country to unite.
Charrin had more harsh words.
“I would like to hand out pacifiers to the protesters so they can have something to bite on for the next four years, just like I had to swallow it for the past eight years,” she said.
But the protesters said they felt Trump’s election brought about a loss of civility, ethics and compassion, and they said they believe his administration will be a threat to civil rights.
“We’re protesting pretty much what Donald Trump represents,” said Juan Evangelista, who marched with Padres & Jovenes Unidos, an advocacy group for Latino students. “There was a lot of rhetoric during his campaign that made our community feel under attack. We want to be treated with civility and justice.”
Trump’s inauguration also received mixed reviews from patrons at Johnson’s Corner truck stop in Larimer County.
Dale “Tumblin’ Tumbleweed” May, 74, of Loveland said he supported Trump from the beginning and attended a campaign rally in Greeley. He believes the new administration will be good for the economy, and he likes Trump’s stance on immigration.
“There’s some things that are going to go down and some things that are going to go up,” May said. “As a whole, I think things are going to go up.”
Gary McEntyre, a Colorado Springs veterinarian, was a Trump supporter and hopes the new president lives up to his promises to bring down health care costs.
“I think everybody is going to have to give him a chance,” McEntyre said. “Hopefully, he will do half of what he says he will.”
But Tim Parker of Loveland, who said “Oh, gosh” as he caught a glimpse of the inauguration on a TV screen, said Trump has swindled a lot of people, especially those who believe his promises about job creation.
“I just don’t think he’s really going to help those people,” Parker said.