As the celebration of Donald Trump’s inauguration goes into full-swing, one event has gotten more attention than all the others: The DeploraBall.
On Thursday, angry protesters were out in force outside the event, chasing partygoers and even setting a fire in the street in front of the entrance.
Attendees of the DeploraBall, held at the National Press Club building, were greeted by a swarm of protesters chanting “Nazi scum off our streets.”
Protests outside #DeploraBall by @DisruptJ20#Trump45@FoxNews on eve of #Inauguration2017pic.twitter.com/R4Jc06wrgt
— Griff Jenkins (@GriffJenkins) January 20, 2017
Those protesters eventually set a small fire in the street.
Now a fire’s been lit in the middle of F Street @WTOP pic.twitter.com/YSxLY02RhW
— Michelle Basch (@mbaschWTOP) January 20, 2017
Credit for setting the fire was claimed by a child named “Carter,” who said he did it “because I felt like it and because I’m just saying screw our president.”
As partiers left, they were greeted by protesters who harassed them, even chasing some to security areas.
#DeploraBall attendees chased by #DisruptJ20 anarchists. #TrumpInaugurationpic.twitter.com/VNrpSrAcpv
— Deplorable Vet (@KGBVeteran) January 20, 2017
The protesters then devolved into chants of “Fuck the police,” “Anarchy now,” and “Abolish the police.”
Anti-Trump protesters are now chanting ‘fuck the police’ and ‘anarchy now’ outside of the #DeploraBall.pic.twitter.com/Bp1orBQyk6
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 20, 2017
The party was the subject of an undercover video released by Project Veritas showing left-wing radicals plotting to release butyric acid in the HVAC system of the National Press Club in an attempt to shut it down.