Anti-Trump protests continue

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NEW YORK, Nov 12, (Agencies): Thousands of Americans spilled into the streets Saturday for a new day of protests against Donald Trump, even as the president-elect appeared to back away from the fi ery rhetoric that propelled him to the White House.

The Republican billionaire — huddled with his transition team at his Manhattan residence — has sought to strike a conciliatory tone since his election sent a shockwave around the world, announcing Friday he no longer intended to scrap Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, Obamacare. “This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!” he tweeted Saturday, as up to 15,000 people prepared to march on Trump Tower under the rallying cry of “Trump is NOT my president.” In downtown Chicago, several thousand marched peacefully to chants of “No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here.” Four days after his shock election, the world is scrutinizing the maverick’s every move for clues to how he will govern. President-elect Trump’s U-turn on Obamacare — which the candidate Trump had branded a “disaster” — was prompted by his White House meeting with the outgoing president a day earlier. In his fi rst post-election interview, Trump told The Wall Street Journal he may maintain a ban on insurance companies denying coverage because of so-called pre-existing conditions. He also said he may continue to ensure that children can remain on their parents’ policies until the age of 26, a key Obamacare tenet.

Despite his more measured tone, the Republican has yet to respond to mounting calls to reassure the US public who fear a xenophobic crackdown under his authority. The South Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, tracked more than 200 incidents of electionrelated harassment and intimidation in the three days following the election. More than 47,000 people have signed an SPLC petition urging Trump to clearly distance himself from “haters” — from white nationalists to anti- Muslim and anti-gay extremists — who are celebrating his victory.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters held a third straight night of largely peaceful marches on Thursday, although violence marred a rally in Portland, Oregon, where a demonstrator was shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries after what police believe was a confrontation. Asked by The Wall Street Journal whether he thought his rhetoric had gone too far, Trump responded: “No. I won.” But he added that he would now take a more positive approach, saying “It’s different now.” “I want a country that loves each other,” he said, arguing that the way to ease tension would be to “bring in jobs.”

In a CBS interview to be aired on Sunday, Trump spoke warmly of the election night call he received from Clinton conceding that he had won. “It was a lovely call, and it was a tough call for her — I mean, I can imagine,” he said according to interview excerpts, praising his vanquished foe as “very strong and very smart.”

He also spoke about a call he received from her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who he said “couldn’t have been more gracious.” The president-elect said he wouldn’t rule out approaching the former US leader for advice. Trump said as much of Obama after their apparently harmonious meeting, saying he was open to seeking his “counsel.” As protests of President-elect Donald Trump entered another day, police in Portland, Oregon, say one person was shot by a man who had gotten into a confrontation with a protester.

Portland police said the person who was shot was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening. Police said they were looking for the shooter, who apparently fled in his vehicle after the attack early Saturday morning on a Willamette River bridge. The shooting followed rowdy Friday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to “burning projectiles” thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day. In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday. A mainly peaceful protest by about 3,000 people ended in Los Angeles early Saturday with about 200 arrests for failure to disperse after police broke up the lingering demonstration. Hundreds joined a Friday afternoon “love rally” in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

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