A second night of protests in the US against President-elect Donald Trump has turned violent in Portland, Oregon.

Several thousand demonstrators gathered in the centre of the western city. Some smashed shop and car windows, threw firecrackers and set rubbish alight.

Police declared a riot and arrested 29 people. Protests in other US cities were smaller than on Wednesday.

Mr Trump earlier said in a tweet the demonstrations were unfair and had been incited by the media.

The protesters, mainly young people, say a Trump presidency would create deep divisions along racial and gender lines.

Police in Portland accused some demonstrators of carrying bats and arming themselves with rocks. Objects were thrown at the police, who responded with pepper spray and rubber baton rounds.

The state of Oregon voted 51-41% in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s election.

Mr Trump criticised the protesters after his meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House.

Image copyright@REALDONALDTRUMP

Senior Trump adviser and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani called protesters on college campuses “a bunch of spoiled cry-babies” on Fox News.

Mr Giuliani, who has been mentioned as Mr Trump’s possible attorney general, was responding to the suggestion that students suffering anxiety over the election result were being offered therapy.

There were no reports of violence at the other protests, although demonstrators in Minneapolis briefly blocked an interstate highway in both directions.

In Philadelphia crowds gathered near City Hall holding placards bearing slogans such as “Not Our President”, “Trans Against Trump” and “Make America Safe For All”.

In Baltimore, police said a peaceful crowd of 600 people marched through the city, blocking traffic. In San Francisco high school students waved rainbow banners and Mexican flags.

A small crowd also gathered outside Trump Tower in Chicago, a day after thousands marched through the city centre. Some passers-by cheered them but at least one driver shouted that they should “shut up and accept democracy”, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Protesters also returned to Trump Tower in New York for a second night.

Protesters outside the courthouse in Portland, Oregon, in the US, 10 November 2016
Demonstrators flood the 101 freeway as they protest President-Elect Donald Trump in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 10.Image copyrightAP
Image captionThousands took to the streets in Portland where protests turned violent
Protesters scuffle with police in Oakland, California, during a demonstration against Donald Trump, 10 November 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionScuffles also broke out in Oakland, California
Broken shop window in Portland, Oregon, after the anti-Trump protests of 10 November, 2016
Portland police said they used pepper spray to disperse protesters after the demonstrators threw things at the officers.
A protester kicks a bank's window during Thurdsay night's protest in Portland.Image copyrightHAL HALES III
Image captionPolice accused some Oregon protesters of arming themselves with bats
protest in minneapolisImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionProtesters in Minneapolis blocked a highway
demonstrators in Eugene, Oregon
Demonstrators flood the 101 freeway as they protest President-Elect Donald Trump in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 10.Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionDemonstrations were also held in smaller cities such as Eugene in Oregon

Meanwhile Mexico’s president said he was optimistic his country could have a positive relationship with the US under Mr Trump, despite his anti-Mexican rhetoric during the campaign.

Enrique Pena Nieto said he and Trump had agreed to meet, possibly during the transition period before Mr Trump’s inauguration in January.

In Russia, President Putin’s spokesman said Mr Trump and Mr Putin were “very much alike” in how they see the world.

Dmitry Peskov said Russian experts had been in contact with some members of Mr Trump’s staff during the campaign.

But he said the Russian government had nothing to do with the theft of emails from the Democratic campaign that were later published by the transparency organisation Wikileaks.

‘Excellent’ conversation

Earlier Mr Trump said it was a “great honour” to meet President Obama for transition talks at the White House.

Mr Obama said his priority was to “facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful”.

President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald TrumpImage copyrightAP
Image captionPresident Barack Obama meets President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office
Melania Trump and Michelle ObamaImage copyrightWHITE HOUSE
Image captionMelania Trump and Michelle Obama in conversation

A BBC correspondent says that despite their cordiality, Mr Trump is intent on dismantling much of President Obama’s legacy. That includes Obamacare, the act extending medical insurance to more Americans than ever before.

During the campaign he called Mr Trump “uniquely unqualified” to be president.

The president-elect was accompanied by his wife, Melania, who had a meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Mr Trump later tweeted that he had had “great chemistry” with Mr Obama, while his wife “liked Mrs O a lot”.

 

By: BBC

 

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