Crowds forming at 14th and F on Friday morning.

Donald J. Trump was sworn in as president of the United States at noon on Friday, and on Saturday, hundreds of thousands are expected to march through DC in support of gender and racial justice. In terms of operations, this inauguration hasn't been much different from any other. But the experience for our region's residents has been anything but normal. We asked our contributors what they're seeing and feeling this week.

Dan Reed makes a very good point: despite all the work and logistics that go into managing an event this big, which is something Greater Greater Washington very often has posts about, those don't feel like the weightiest topics of the day.

Protesters are getting tear gassed right now downtown. What I'm going to remember is that yesterday there was a bomb scare in front of my office and today protesters have smashed the windows of the shops around Franklin Square.

Dan's perspective resonates with me. I rode Metro to work today, and given how smooth the trip was, figured I'd write about that. But really, the most interesting thing I observed was a group of students talking about how political correctness has gotten out of hand and maybe Trump can change that, and then, when they got off the train, a handful of people of color who looked like they were on their way to work coming on and filling their seats. The change in who I was surrounded by from when the train pulled into the station to when it left struck me.

Stephen Hudson did a good job drawing a link between the physical environment and the way it has made people feel this week:

I'd compare it to a snow day, right before the first snowflakes have fallen - sort of a calm before the storm- but with a lot more police barricades. Federal employees are staying home, so it's almost like a holiday. Connecticut Avenue and Dupont Circle were very empty last night.

Obviously the barriers are very mental, too. It's no secret that Trump isn't very popular in the area, so a city will be full of his tomorrow probably does not sit well with a lot of the locals. I think this largely reflects the large partisan and cultural divide in our country right now: there's almost of a feeling of “otherness” to the Americans coming to town for this event. The protests on Saturday feel much more like a “DC event” than the inauguration does.

“The city feels like a post-apocalyptic version of itself,” said Mike Grinnell on Thursday. “Streets and building are mostly empty. People in suits rushing along the sidewalks are replaced with causally dressed people just wandering and looking around.”

“At the Takoma Metro last night, there was a guy playing the Star Wars Imperial March on his trombone,” added Gray Kimbrough. “I mentioned it on Twitter and someone responded that this pretty much fits the mood of DC right now.”

David Whitehead, GGWash's Housing Program Organizer, shared what the week has felt like to him:

I think a lot of people in DC hate the feeling of being treated like an event stage, and that's how it feels right now. Many local organizers get frustrated with national groups who come through, protest about their issue, snap some pictures of monuments, and bus out with little interaction with the local issues, people and groups that live their lives here. But beyond that, I think when the streets are so empty, when the offices are all dark, it just doesn't feel like a city. It feels like a place where something is about to happen, not like a place where life is happening every day.

I feel uneasy about it and slightly jealous of the space, but I also have the general feeling that if we're all just patient this will pass and the city will be back to us.

Julie Lawson said David's comments “remind me of a photo I took of the parade bleachers a couple weeks ago:”

Image by Julie Lawson used with permission.

Is it inauguration day, or is it this inauguration day?

For me, things have felt a bit eerie all week. Early in the week, I noticed fences going up on downtown sidewalks, along with barriers that were later moved into the streets to keep cars out. Others noticed them all around town as well.

Fences to keep people inside once they pass through a security checkpoint. Image by Joe Fox used with permission.

While walking north up 15th Street NW on Tuesday evening, I passed through McPherson Square, where anti-Trump protesters were rallying. Between having seen the fences for the first time (which to be honest look somewhat like cages to me) and the streets being less crowded than usual save for more police cars, the chants had an echo to them I don't think I would have noticed otherwise.

Image by the author.

I keep thinking through this question: what have I seen this week that's “normal out of the ordinary,” as in it'd happen for any other big event like another inauguration or the pope coming, and what's specific to this particular point in time?

Canaan Merchant spoke to that a bit, saying “I remember the mood from 2008 and it definitely seemed more festive. But the phsyical changes seem about the same. I've just noticed it more bit by bit as my commute now takes me across the mall every day.”

Mike Grinnell said he thinks things are a bit more unique to today's political climate:

Eight years ago I planned my outfit around how cold it would be. For this inauguration I am planning my outfit around not offending extremist on either side and the potential need to run 18 miles back home if something were to happen. Hopefully I am overthinking things.

Joanne Pierce echoed that, saying that this particular inauguration has people feeling more on edge than any other:

We're definitely used to big events, but this time it feels different because there's also the mood. There has been a lot of anxiety since the election. I feel like it's everywhere, from interactions with friends to wondering whether it's going to be a problem to walk around.

Richard Spencer, the head of the white supremacy group that was in downtown DC last month, set up shop in Alexandria so there are protest fliers and signs all over the neighborhood. It just feels like there's no escaping the mood that's set in since the election. I think that'll remain after the barriers go away.

Tracy Loh added:

The city was creepy and empty on Inauguration Day last time - it always is with this security. And it was soooooo cold.

What did feel different was 2008 is that local DC was so joyful at the victory of the first black president, and everyone was making their own gorgeous homemade inaugural swag, the likes of which I don't think we'll ever see again. I regret more than anything that I did not buy a pair of beadazzled Obama shoes. People were dancing in the streets and it was awesome. There was certainly no one screaming into a bullhorn in front of Comet Ping Pong.

One contributor, who asked to stay anonymous, said the sense of change Joanne and Tracy expressed is something they've felt in their job market since November 9th:

I have been applying to a lot of federal jobs over the past few months, and the mood everywhere I've looked has changed completely over that period. This week marks the culmination of that. There will be a hiring freeze very soon, if not tomorrow. I won't be getting a federal job for a long time, if ever.

The whole region will be dramatically affected by this (outside of the defense industry). Because of that, for the first time since I moved here, I've considered moving elsewhere. Everyone I've talked to in agencies totally gets that. I will try to stay here, but I'll be looking in private industry instead of putting my skills to use for the government.

I guess this isn't specifically due to the Inauguration itself, but the DC area definitely feels very different to me now.

This week has been a lot to process, as will those yet to come. What has your experience with inauguration been like?