Berliners have taken to the streets to protest Donald Trump's presidential ascension. US demonstrators continue to turn out for nationwide protests to oppose Trump's win on an 18th-century technicality.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. MacDougall
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Rallies against US President-elect Donald Trump are being held outside of the US embassy in Berlin and in the southeastern district of Neukölln, which has large Turkish and Arab populations. The German public broadcaster RBB reported that police had received fewer than 500 registrations for both rallies, but event pages on Facebook alone indicated that thousands of people planned to attend Saturday's demonstrations.
"Donald Trump is the next president of the United States," organizers of the embassy protest wrote. "We must immediately stand up against his xenophobic, Islamophobic, misogynistic, racist and sexist behavior, which does not promote equality. We want to send a sign of international solidarity."
Organizers called the Neukölln rally "a gathering, a rally, a place to be together and voice that white supremacy will not prevail ... a day to continue the fight that has been going on for centuries, and not let down all the work that has been done so far." They called on protesters "to stand in solidarity with all queers, trans people, people of color, Muslims, Mexicans, women, refugees, and every marginalized person on this planet."
German politicians expressed shock after it became clear that Trump would hold the presidency. Angela Merkel said she would cooperate with the multiply bankrupted self-proclaimed billionaire if he could uphold democratic values; Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the US would become more "unpredictable" and "unilateral." The far-right Alternative for Germany praised Trump's win on a technicality in a bitter election.
In a candid assessment on Friday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the US's new top Republican was ignorant of the EU and how it worked.
America, 'great again'
Though he did not win the popular vote, Trump will assume the presidency in January thanks to a US-specific quirk that awards points of a sort to candidates according to how many votes they win in each state. Trump achieved narrow-margin victories in several states that ultimately added up to a four-year term in the highest office in the land because of the US's "Electoral College."
Since Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton, thousands of people have protested in cities across the United States. Officials say a small amount of property damage has occurred.
Rights organizations and social media users have noted a startling rise in reports of hate crimes across the United States. At a coffee shop in Lubbock, Texas on Thursday, a man "verbally assaulted" a family described to be of Middle Eastern descent, a witness told DW. Wearing a hat that said "Make America Great Again," the man apparently told the family of three that Trump was going to build a wall and "kick them out."
Many have interpreted "Make America Great Again" - the vague slogan of the disgraced reality show host's shockingly successful campaign - as a call for a return to the days when white men were even more dominant than they are now.
mkg/rc (AFP, dpa)
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
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The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
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From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
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Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
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What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
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"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B.J. Harpaz
Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
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Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
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Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
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Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
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Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
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The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
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Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
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Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lane
Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.
