Protesters Bring Fake Guillotine to Washington, DC, During Trump’s Second Inauguration

As President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term on Monday, a group of leftist protesters gathered in Washington, DC, staging a demonstration that included a grim and provocative display. The group, estimated to be between 250 and 300 people, convened at Meridian Hill, also known as Malcolm X Park, with a fake guillotine as the centerpiece of their protest.

The guillotine, a device historically associated with executions, bore the words “Come Get Sum.” A masked individual dressed in black stood beside it, and the blade appeared to be smeared with red paint to simulate blood. Nearby, another protester held a sign reading, “The Revolution Is Now.”

This is not the first time a guillotine has been used as a symbol in demonstrations targeting President Trump. In August 2020, protesters set up a similar device outside the White House. At that time, a doll resembling Trump was placed in the guillotine, coinciding with protests during the final night of the Republican National Convention as Trump delivered a speech from the White House South Lawn.

In his remarks that night, Trump condemned the violence and unrest seen in several cities, saying, “We must never allow mob rule.”

Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in the Capitol rotunda on Monday, an event described by Breitbart News as “one of the greatest comebacks in political history.” Before the ceremony, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended a prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, a historic site with a tradition of hosting presidents since James Madison’s administration.

St. John’s is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, with its website noting, “Several [presidents] have been regular communicants, earning St. John’s its status as a National Historic Landmark.”

The display of a guillotine and calls for revolution during Trump’s second inauguration underscore the heightened tensions and stark political divisions that remain prominent in the nation. Despite the protests, the inauguration proceeded without interruption, marking a significant chapter in Trump’s political career.

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