Thousands protest Trump as he returns to Manhattan home

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On Monday, President Donald Trump returned to Manhattan and Trump Tower for the first time since becoming president, and he was met there by thousands of protesters.

Trump arrived by helicopter and then drove up in the presidential limousine, avoiding a clash with protesters as the limousine pulled in going the wrong way down a one-way street. Protesters who had been waiting for hours for Trump to make his appearance chanted “Shame! Shame!” at him.

While New Yorkers have been vocal about their dislike of the president, especially since the city did not vote for him and its leaders have publicly opposed him, the protests had drawn new anger especially from the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend, as well as from Trump’s initially tepid response and refusal to condemn white supremacy for its role in the violence.

— Newt Gingrich: Removing Confederate statues panders to Blacks — 

Heidi Dorow, a 52-year-old grant maker, said that the events in Charlottesville only made the protests more important: “It’s important in these moments for white people to make a public stance against racism, against white supremacy, and be public and vocal about that.”

Protesters also expressed concern over Trump’s recent North Korea comments in which he promised to meet their nuclear threat with “fire and fury.”

“Every week it’s something new,” said Michael Wang, a 36-year-old artist who held a sign reading, “Nuclear war is not a ratings game.”

The group of protesters gathered hours before Trump’s arrival, while some counter protesters in favor of Trump also gathered. Dozens of police officers lined Trump Tower, and three protesters were arrested for disrupting the peace and resisting arrest.

While protesters started to leave after Trump had gone into Trump Tower, they promised to return.