Protesters crowd around Trump Tower as president makes 1st visit home

Crowds have gathered inside and outside of Trump Tower in New York to take a stand against the president’s comments after a weekend of deadly violence in Virginia, where white supremacist groups and counter-demonstrators clashed.

Hundreds of people gathered outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, chanting, “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” “Not my president” and “Love, not hate, will make America great.”

Inside Trump Tower, “Hate has no home here” was seen on a pink board held up to the windows.

Other protesters held aloft signs that read “Too little. Too Late!” in reference to president Trump’s initial criticism of violence “on many sides” following a two-day gathering in Charlottesville, which ended in tragedy. On Saturday, a participant of the alt-right Unite the Right event killed Heather Heyer, 32, and injured 19 people after mowing through a group of anti-racist protesters in his car.

Other signs read, “The White House should not be taken literally” and “Donald the anti-American.”

Further in the crowd, several people were tethered to a huge inflatable which spelled out “F U TRUMP,” in gold lettering.

Trump is due to arrive in New York City Monday evening and stay until Wednesday. This will be the first time he steps inside his Trump Tower apartment since becoming president. In May, he was at the building for a few hours, but did not enter his residence.

Two blocks away from Trump Tower, a 15-foot inflatable “Trump Rat” was erected at lunchtime at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. Inspired by the inflatable scab rats often placed outside New York worksites accused of union-busting, it’s the brainchild of artist Jeffrey Beebe and BravinLee Programs, featuring Trump’s likeness characterized with a comb-over plus a Russian flag lapel and Confederate flag cufflinks.

“The intent was to fabricate an inflatable Trump Rat and get it out into the world, keep it circulating, and lean it out to protests,” organizers said.

The protests also reached the New York Public Library.