As Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president, protests, demonstrations — and a few celebrations — were underway in cities around the world.
In London, demonstrators holding anti-Trump signs gathered outside the U.S. Embassy on Friday evening. Earlier in the day, huge banners saying "Build Bridges Not Walls" were hung across the city's bridges, part of a U.K. campaign that that began after Trump was elected in November.
In Berlin, protesters gathered outside the headquarters of a far-right party, the Alternative for Germany, whose leader, Frauke Petry, has been effusive in her praise of Trump.
Many Israelis were supportive of Trump, who has nominated a supporter of West Bank settlements as his ambassador. Trump has also spoken out in favor of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a move would be provocative and anger Palestinians — who held protests in the West Bank.
Demonstrators in the Philippines burned U.S. flags and rallied against Trump outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila. They demanded an end to U.S. troop presence in the Philippines. Trump has praised the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, whose ongoing anti-drug campaign has left more than 5,000 dead since last June.
Elsewhere, Trump's new role was celebrated. In New Delhi, right-wing Hindu supporters of the new U.S. president celebrated even before the inauguration by draping a garland of marigolds on Trump's photo on Thursday.
In Russia, says NPR's Lucian Kim, "People welcome Trump." But, he notes, "Russians actually have very little information on Trump, and they hear someone who's saying the U.S. should just get along with Russia — what's not to like about that?"
Trump himself had little to say about the world outside the United States in his inauguration speech.
"We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world — but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first," Trump said. "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones — and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth."
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