Trump gets blasted at anti-nuclear war protest

inauguration-protests-penley-2017-01-29-v01,VIL,PRINT_WEB,WEB — Protesters in D.C. targeted the “Deploraball,” a gala after the inauguration whose name riffed on Hillary Clinton’s slamming Trump’s supporters as “deplorables.” The demonstrators inflated a large white “elephant in the room,” with the word “RACISM” on it, outside of the place, and also projected zingers and disses on the building’s facade. Later, Roger Stone, the gonzo G.O.P. strategist, tweeted that the protesters had pelted ballgoers with eggs as they exited. Photos by John Penley

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | Concerned about Donald Trump’s saber rattling, former East Village activist John Penley co-organized a “Homes Not Bombs” no-nukes protest in downtown Washington, D.C., over four days around the inauguration. Leading the effort at Franklin Square park with Penley was Bruce Wright, a Florida-based activist and minister.

Speakers at their event ranged from Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate, to powerful Standing Rock leader Joann Mae Spotted Bear, plus there was a full slate of rock bands and performers.

inauguration-protests-penley-2017-01-29-v04,VIL,PRINT_WEB,WEB — Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was among the speakers at the anti-nuclear protest-palooza.

The main reported incidents of property damage during the inauguration — a torched limo and some broken windows of multinational businesses, like Starbucks — happened right near Penley’s protest. However, he and Wright had stressed their event was peaceful. They had even switched their location from another park just so they wouldn’t be near DisruptJ20, a group of hardcore anarchists who had vowed to cause mayhem during the presidential festivities.

penley 94 copy — Joann Mae Spotted Bear, fresh from the Standing Rock pipeline fight in North Dakota, was a powerful speaker.

“It was right across the street from us,” Penley said of the vandalism. “The police had been firing tear gas canisters and concussion grenades for about two hours. It was loud! I saw one guy whose leg was messed up by a concussion grenade. The police would use that to back people up and then move up the barriers. People had started it by throwing bricks at the police a few blocks away.”

inauguration-protests-penley-2017-01-29-v02,VIL,PRINT_WEB,WEB — On inauguration day, a young man who was hit by tear gas used Milk of Magnesia to clean his eyes of the painful chemical weapon — it really works — as he was aided by a volunteer “street medic.”

An underreported story, he said, is that about 250 protesters and others were arrested, and every single one of them was charged with felony riot.

“A lot of them are still being held,” he said. “Some people have bail set, but they can’t pay it to get out. In New York, they use ‘disorderly conduct’ when they arrest people. ‘Felony riot’ is a big difference — it carries 10 years in prison. Anybody and everybody they arrested — even photographers — was getting ‘felony riot.’ ”

East Villager journo Paul DeRienzo, who reports on the Indian Point power plant for The Villager, was among the speakers calling for "No Nukes!" — East Village journo Paul DeRienzo, who reports on the Indian Point power plant for The Villager, was among the speakers calling for “No Nukes!”

Over all, though, Penley didn’t mention any instances of serious police abuse. One man in Franklin Square, however, who had come from Standing Rock stripped off his clothes to reveal “F— Trump” magic-marked on his butt cheeks. He paraded around for a while, then just plunked down on the grass. Penley, a former New York tabloid photojournalist, documented him and everything else going on over the four days.

The musical lineup was yuuge. — The musical lineup, including Liss Victory, above, was yuuge.

Getting hardcore. — Getting hardcore about it with Bust Off. The rare appearance by the legendary D.C. band was one of the highlights of the four-day protest fest.

penley 228 copy — Forget about “draining the swamp,” it was time to surf the mosh pit.

penley 203 copy — The activists and musicians were grooving to the music…bigly.

“They didn’t arrest him,” he noted of the nude Trump naysayer. “They pepper-sprayed him later. They pepper-sprayed his whole body. I think they just got tired of him. People had to wash him off.”

inauguration-penley-protests-2017-01-29-v06,VIL,PRINT_WEB,WEB — Actually, Vermin Supreme — with Bruce Wright, at left — was inaugurated as president, at least in Franklin Square.

These anarchist Black Bloc guys were just hanging around. But the Franklin Square group's protest was peaceful and they weren't interested in damaging property or disrupting the inauguration — just in making a point about the dangers of nuclear power and weapons. — These anarchist Black Bloc guys were just hanging around. But the Franklin Square group’s protest was peaceful and they weren’t interested in damaging property or disrupting the inauguration — just in making a very serious point about the dangers of nuclear power and weapons.

Also at the Franklin Square confab was Vermin Supreme, a performance artist and activist who wears a black rubber rain boot as a hat and has run for president four times.

“We inaugurated Vermin as president of our camp,” Penley said.