5:33 AM: Karina Garcia, 31, is one of the main organizers of the Answer Coalition event. As we approach D.C., she takes a moment to rest.Natalie Keyssar for TIME
Photographer Natalie Keyssar spent 12 hours with members of the Answer Coalition, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, as they made their way from New York City to Washington to protest at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. She takes us behind the scenes.
I’ve spent the last few years covering activism in other parts of the world, and now I’m really focused on the U.S. as I see my generation change in the wake of this election.
That means taking a deep and personal look at activism at the dawn of the Trump era, turning the lens on my loved ones to use that intimacy to create images that are personal and self-reflective, because there’s no denying that these issues are now personal for many Americans.
I learned about the Answer Coalition, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, through politically active friends who had been participating in some of their events. One of them is Anna Hillary, a friend of mine.
In recent weeks, I’ve speaking with Anna to try to make sense of the new political landscape in America after the elections. When she mentioned she was taking an overnight bus ride to Washington to peacefully protest the new administration. I thought it was important to show who she and the other members of this coalition were. I was interested in knowing why they chose to protest on Inauguration Day when the Women’s March had gotten so much attention.
I think Karina Garcia, one of the organizers, sums it up best: “This is the day. This is when people have to come out and show who they are. Now is the time.”
Natalie Keyssar is a documentary photographer based in New York City.
1:08 AM: Govan Rodriguez and Gloria Mendoza, both living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, wait before boarding one of the buses chartered by the Answer Coalition to bring New Yorkers down to Washington for demonstrations during Donald Trump's inauguration. "We're 'Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals' recipients and Trump is threatening to take away that order and that would leave us undocumented once again," Govan tells me. "We're marching for the Latin community, for undocumented people whose voices are not heard, for people who live in the shadows."Natalie Keyssar for TIME1:30 AM: We boarded promptly at 1am and it's, by far, the most organized bus trip I've ever taken. The mood is upbeat, but as soon as the lights go out, as we make our way out of town, everyone goes straight to sleep to conserve energy for the morning.Natalie Keyssar for TIME1:38 AM: Lysondra Webb, 25, (right) and Sade Dixon, 25, (left) pose for a portrait on the bus. "As a member of a marginalized community I'm obligated to be a representative," Lysondra tells me. "That person who's going to be sitting in the White House and all his cronies are not for me."
"My grandparents protested with Malcolm X for me to have a better life. It's my duty to continue the fight and its' sad that I have to but I will fight and speak up for my brothers and my community," says Dixon.Natalie Keyssar for TIME1:42 AM: Poli Cortez, a plant seller originally from Mexico, poses for a portrait."It's my duty to continue to struggle for the people," he says when I ask him why he's going to Washington.Natalie Keyssar for TIME5:28 AM: Anna plans her protest sign while other activists prepare their lunches around 5am as the bus approaches D.C.Natalie Keyssar for TIME5:33 AM: Karina Garcia, 31, is one of the main organizers of the Answer Coalition event. As we approach D.C., she takes a moment to rest.Natalie Keyssar for TIME5:56 AM: A couple embraces before getting off the bus. Next, we'll get on the metro to reach the Navy Memorial where the protest will take place.Natalie Keyssar for TIME6:12 AM: Anna and Andrew finish their signs on the metro. Other protesters join the members of Answer Coalition, mingling and chatting with each other, while some mumble about how much they need coffee. Trump supporters are also riding the metro. The two groups stare at each other awkwardly in the early morning.Natalie Keyssar for TIME6:45 AM: A group of Trump supporters rides the metro next to an activist from New York. The tension is palpable but no one's talking.Natalie Keyssar for TIME7:45 AM: A couple of Trump supporters give an interview as they wait in the security line to access the Navy Memorial. It's 7 AM and it quickly dawns on the protesters that both supporters and protesters of Trump's presidency will have to wait in the same security lines. It's freezing cold and sellers hawk hand warmers and ponchos. We wait but the line doesn't move, so both groups answer requests for interviews, accusing the other side of being stupid within ear shot of each other.
I marvel that there's no major conflicts between the various groups.Natalie Keyssar for TIME10:10 AM: Thousands wait in line to enter the Navy Memorial area along the parade route.In the end, we waited for about three hours. Natalie Keyssar for TIME10:59 AM: The protest is on. Fists are raised as a speaker called for the Affordable Care Act to be preserved. Carolyn Ruff from Chicago, seen here in the yellow poncho on the lower left of the frame, says she's here for the Women's March. "I'm here to fight back and to let people know that President Trump is not our President," she tells me. "The President should be for all people not just the billionaires. How can they run this country when they have not experienced what we have?"Natalie Keyssar for TIME11:00 AM: A speaker at the Answer Coalition event riles up the crowd. Their faces are somber. Everywhere the protesters are talking about what needs to be done. They express their feelings of outrage as the cold starts to subside.Natalie Keyssar for TIME11:25 AM: "I'm here today because I think it's so important for the immigrant community to see that they're not alone," says Karina Garcia of Queens, New York. "The thing that scares me about Trump is not so much him but that people feel that they've lost their power. I want them to see that other people are here and keep fighting. The whole world is watching. It's important that people see that there are thousands against xenophobia and violating women's rights. People shouldn't conflate his election with a mandate. He reflects the problems with our political system."
I ask her why she's in Washington today and not at the Women's March, she says that Jan. 20 was the day to fight. "This is the day. This is when people have to come out and show who they are. Now is the time. I can't think of any other place I wanna be. 10 years from now when we've won, we're gonna look back at this day and [ask] 'Where were you?'"Natalie Keyssar for TIME
![11:25 am: "I'm here today because I think it's so important for the immigrant community to see that they're not alone," says Karina Garcia of Queens, New York. "The thing that scares me about Trump is not so much him but that people feel that they've lost their power. I want them to see that other people are here and keep fighting. The whole world is watching. It's important that people see that there are thousands against xenophobia and violating women's rights. People shouldn't conflate his election with a mandate. He reflects the problems with our political system." I ask her why she's in Washington today and not at the Women's March, she says that Jan. 20 was the day to fight. "This is the day. This is when people have to come out and show who they are. Now is the time. I can't think of any other place I wanna be. 10 years from now when we've won, we're gonna look back at this day and [ask] 'Where were you?'"](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/trump-inauguration-protest-natalie-keyssar-013.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)