Yahoo! News - Thousands Protest Bush's Inauguration
Thousands of people in dozens of cities across the nation walked out of work and school, held mock coronations, intoned the names of the Iraq war dead and held candlelight vigils to show their disapproval of President Bush as he was sworn in for his second term.

About 1,000 people rallied in Seattle, more than 2,000 in Portland, Ore., and several thousand gathered in downtown San Francisco, where protesters waved signs and carried banners with slogans such as "Not Our President," "Drop Bush Not Bombs," and "Hail To The Thief."

There were dozens of smaller rallies, marches and walkouts as well. Two hundred protesters filled a city block marching through downtown Atlanta, 150 marched on the state capitol in Lincoln, Neb., and in Denver, several hundred demonstrators were joined at the state Capitol by a group of women wearing witches' hats who chanted "We've been under a spell." The crowd cheered when they added "But we are waking up."

In Santa Cruz, Calif., about 250 marchers followed a 20-foot-tall Statue of Liberty puppet to the Town Clock in a demonstration where former Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern was the featured speaker.

But the real action was in DC, where the pepper spray flowed freely....

Mock Coffins and Jeers as Bush Sworn In
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Flag-draped coffins and jeering anti-war protesters competed with pomp and circumstance on Thursday at the inauguration of President Bush along the snow-dusted, barricaded streets of central Washington.

As the president's motorcade made its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House amid the tightest security in inaugural history, thousands of protesters along the parade route and nearby downtown streets booed, chanted slogans and carried placards condemning Bush's policies at home and abroad.

In one area, police briefly sought to disperse with pepper spray demonstrators who hurled bottles, trash and snowballs at officers while trying to break through a security fence holding them back from the parade.

At least one snowball hit Vice President Dick Cheney's limousine, and Bush's limousine sped up to get past the commotion.

All that money can't stop the force of a determined snowball...

Police said there were at least 13 arrests, two for assaulting an officer and the rest for disorderly conduct or other violations. One was a man who embarrassed police four years ago by sneaking past security to get a handshake from Bush. He did not get a chance for another grip this inauguration.

Police also scuffled with about 30 protesters two streets away from the parade route, using pepper spray and batons to disperse the group of self-styled anarchists, who wore bandannas to hide their faces.

It's heartening to see the turn out here, all over the country, all over the world.

And again, my apologies to the rest of the world. Half of this country didn't want it to be this way. We are truly sorry. Please forgive us.