Plot grows to 'shut down' Trump's inauguration

President Barack Obama delivers his inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President-elect Donald Trump (Photo: Twitter)

A group of progressive activists says it plans to "shut down" the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20 – forcing the president-elect to take his oath of office "behind closed doors" – "if Trump is to be inaugurated at all."

The group, known as the D.C. Counter-Inaugural Welcoming Committee, or #DisruptJ20, says it calls on "all people of conscience to shut down the ceremonies."

It continues, "If Trump is inaugurated at all, let it happen behind closed doors, showing the world that the vast majority of people in the U.S. do not support his presidency or consent to his rule."

Lacy MacAuley, a spokeswoman for #DisruptJ20, told WND the group is anticipating a "massive presence in Washington, D.C., during the inauguration."

"We cannot yet say how significant this disruption will be," she said. "We are creating a framework to support mass protests and direct action to shut down the inauguration of Donald Trump."

President Barack Obama delivers his inaugural address from the West Front of the U.S. Capitol during the inaugural swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

MacAuley said the group is providing housing, food and legal assistance to protesters who join the effort.

WND asked MacAuley why members of law enforcement and media are not welcome at the community meetings and if the group is planning disruption activities that will break the law and cause protesters to be arrested.

"I can safely say that some groups are likely planning actions that might result in arrest scenarios," she said. "Sorry, I cannot give specifics at this time, due mostly to the fact that plans are still in flux, but also due to the fact that not all information is public."

As for the ban on police and reporters at meetings, MacAuley explained: "Our meetings are safe zones in which people want to speak freely without knowing that a police officer is listening, or thinking that they could be quoted in the press. This is especially important when Trump and Trump-affiliated people threaten intermittently to violate our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression."

On Wednesday, leftist activist and filmmaker Michael Moore endorsed the #DisruptJ20 plan in a Twitter post, citing Hillary Clinton's 2.7 million popular vote lead and linking to the group's website.

"Disrupt the inauguration," he wrote. "The majority have spoken – by nearly 2.7 million votes & counting! Silence is not an option."

In its call to action, #DisruptJ20 declares:

Trump stands for tyranny, greed, and misogyny. He is the champion of neo-nazis and white Nationalists, of the police who kill the Black, Brown and poor on a daily basis, of racist border agents and sadistic prison guards, of the FBI and NSA who tap your phone and read your email.

He is the harbinger of even more climate catastrophe, deportation, discrimination, and endless war. He continues to deny the existence of climate change, in spite of all the evidence, putting the future of the whole human race at stake. The KKK, Vladimir Putin, Golden Dawn, and the Islamic State all cheered his victory. If we let his inauguration go unchallenged, we are opening the door to the future they envision.

The group's spokescouncil is holding community meetings to plan the shutdown, the first of which is scheduled for Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

"The spokescouncil is open to individual activists, organization staff, affinity groups, collectives, artists, medics, and healers and anyone who wants to help shut down the inauguration," an announcement states. "Law enforcement and media are not welcome."

D.C. officials say they expect upwards of a million people to pour into the nation's capital for the inauguration ceremony and parade, according to the Washington Post. Police officers and National Guard members from across America will be assigned to Washington for the event.

"Along with D.C. police, the city will bring in 3,200 law enforcement officers from across the country to mainly work the parade route," the Post reported. "Seven thousand members of the National Guard will also be in the District, unarmed and watching over the route. U.S. Capitol Police, which will also have a large security presence, would not comment on its inauguration plans."

The National Park Service told the Post about a dozen groups have applied for permits to protest on federal property.

Some Twitter users responded to Michael Moore's call for disruption of Trump's inauguration with the following tweets:

Haha, ya, and I'm sure the American electorate will appreciate it. Should definitely help the Dems in 2020! Lol! So dumb.
I supported Hillary, but we must respect democracy.
Dems are mad because the electoral map is a sea of red. Illegals in CA don't dictate who becomes president.
So you want 2 states, California and New York, to decide the election? That's not how it works.
I have deep admiration & respect for you, but don't agree with you on this point. It's time for your country to unite on common ground.
It's all good. Trump's got the military, police, ICE & NRA backing him up. Plus, we own all the guns. Bring it.
All you're going to do is push more people to Trump and the GOP.
You're making a fool out of yourself. Stop acting like a child. Grow up. Move to some other "mob rule" country.
My son is a history teacher bringing 20 kids to the inauguration. Do you really think a violent protest will show anything but hatred?
Protest by all means, but disrupting the legal and constitutionally sound inauguration of a president is dangerous in the extreme.
What happens when people die? What happens if ISIS strikes due to your encouraging violence? I think you should be locked up.
Sounds like you are calling for violence against Trump & his voters. That's evil. You are evil.
Michael Moore knows the recount scam is over. Now he is inciting violence. Did he forget that he encouraged his side to disarm?!
What do you call a man who won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote? Answer: Mr. President.