WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tessa Perry, a Greenfield resident who spent the weekend in D.C., chose to attend Friday’s inauguration to see a historic and important event in American history, but was surprised by the atmosphere.
She went with a group of college democrats, and said Trump supporters in the crowd were more somber than expected and that her group was able to be near the front of the crowd because so few people were in attendance.
Perry felt as if she and her group stood out and it was clear they weren’t supporters.
“We just felt like we didn’t belong there, and I don’t think that’s how you’re supposed to feel at an inauguration at all,” Perry said.
She said she had seen other inaugurations on TV and that this one had a different energy.
“Even his supporters weren’t cheerful,” she said. “It didn’t seem like they were there to celebrate anything.”
She said members of the crowd booed when others were mentioned besides Trump and that there was a mix of Trump supporters and protesters in the crowd. She said she saw one man do a Nazi salute at Trump from the crowd. Perry thought it was likely an isolated incident, but was still surprising.
“It was very surreal,” she said.
She said she felt as though Friday was more of a show or one of Trump’s rallies.
“He really isn’t speaking to America as a whole,” she said. “It seemed like we were still at a rally and he was trying to connect to his supporters.”
Marisa Hebble, from Northfield, said it was a different atmosphere from the Women’s March she attended at the Capitol Building the next day.
“The feeling was very somber downtown,” she said. “It was a very different vibe. (Saturday) was very energized.”
She said the march had a lot of energy and although she was raised in a politically active family, she had never seen something like it.
“I think it’s really significant that this many people were mobilized to make a statement,” she said.