Thousands of supporters and opponents of Donald Trump were arriving in Washington Friday as the Republican prepares to take the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States. At noon (1700 GMT), Trump will place his hand on a Bible once used by Abraham Lincoln to take the presidential oath of office and face the difficult task of leading a country sharply divided by his election. The president-elect is to begin the day with a traditional worship service at St John's Church near the White House before meeting with outgoing President Barack Obama and travelling to the Capitol for the transfer of power. Just 40 per cent of Americans view Trump favourably, the lowest of any recent president, pollster Gallup said, pointing to a 78 per cent favourability rating for Obama in 2009. As he prepares to take the reins from Obama, Trump has continued to blast his critics and dismiss the media even as he also seeks to deliver a message of job creation and focus on his campaign pledge to "Make America Great Again." His inauguration festivities are designed with unity in mind and are to be accessible to the working-class Americans who formed the backbone of his support. But millions of Americans worry about the direction the United States will take under Trump amid vows to repeal Obama's signature health care law, pledges to build a wall along the US-Mexican border and the questioning of longstanding pillars of US foreign policy. Demonstrators clash with police in Washington DC during protests against incoming US president Donald Trump protests around the world Groups of demonstrators took to the streets in cities around the world on Friday to both lament and celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president. About 200 members of activist groups gathered at nine different bridges along the River Thames in London in the morning to drop banners with messages including "Build bridges not walls," and "United against Islamophobia," in reference to two of Trump's most controversial policies: a wall on the Mexico border, and limits on Muslims entering the United States. The protest "isn't just about Trump ... it's [also] about Brexit, because we feel the world is becoming more divided and that it's through far-right politics," one of the protest's organizers, Sophie Dyer, told dpa. "We're sending a message to Donald Trump and to the general supporters of far-right populism across the UK and Europe, and we're also sending a message of solidarity to those in the US who stand to be hurt," Tim Kiely from the Green Party said. In the Philippine capital, Manila, hundreds of protesters led by left-wing activists marched to the US embassy to urge President Rodrigo Duterte to be wary of Trump and to maintain an independent foreign policy in relation to the US. Chanting "Dump Trump," the protesters burned a US flag near the embassy and also demanded the pull-out of US troops and facilities in the Philippines. Earlier in Sri Lanka, a small but vociferous group gathered outside the US embassy, carrying placards and chanting slogans denouncing Trump's comments on issues including the environment, war and immigrants, and claiming they could have an impact on Sri Lanka. "We are showing our solidarity with all the people throughout the world who are taking part in protests against president-elect Trump," Siritunga Jayasuriya, leader of the United Socialist Party, said. Police stepped up security outside the embassy in Colombo as less than 100 people from political parties, civil rights and labour organizations protested for more than an hour.
