ID :
42026
Thu, 01/22/2009 - 10:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/42026
The shortlink copeid
Spirits remain high among record inaugural crowds in frosty weather
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 Kyodo - A record crowd of nearly 2 million visitors flooded the National Mall Tuesday to witness the swearing-in of the first African-American President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Many flocked to the inaugural parade route after the ceremony to catch a
glimpse of the over 90 groups that joined the new president and vice president
as they made their way down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House.
While unprecedented road closings, strict security checkpoints and freezing
temperatures led some officials -- including Obama -- to issue public warnings
in advance of the all-day celebration, spirits were high among attendees.
''Everybody's in a good mood here, which is amazing, considering there's 5
million people here,' said Florida native Grady Keef, 18, inflating official
crowd estimates. ''People are patient, and happy.''
Keef, who worked on the Obama campaign in his state, said he and the woman next
to him at the ceremony embraced at the end of the swearing-in, despite having
never met before the inauguration.
A 39-year-old Brazilian native who noted the difficulty exiting the Mall in a
timely fashion nonetheless hailed the ''heat of the crowd'' and added that
there was a ''general sense of happiness, of satisfaction.''
Almost two dozen jumbo-sized screens lined the some 3 kilometers of the
National Mall from the Capitol building -- the site of the ceremony -- to the
Lincoln Memorial, which hosted a star-studded concert kicking off the
festivities Sunday.
Still, some had to temper the inevitable disappointment of a more modest view
of the proceedings on the Capitol steps. Even those admitted to standing-room
areas in the immediate vicinity of the Capitol had to compete with fellow
ticket-holders who arrived at security gates long before sunrise.
''Everybody wants to see, but everybody's just happy to be here,'' said New
Yorker Shanna James.
Even as the crowds shifted from the Mall to the tightly packed parade route,
where a glimpse of the presidential motorcade was a special treat for those
without tickets, the general mood was unspoiled.
Maryland resident Jean McEwen, 54, attending her first inauguration, was
delighted even when her view of Obama was limited to a brief sighting of the
new commander-in-chief waving to the crowds, obscured by stands and security
barricades.
''Everybody's smiling!'' McEwen said. ''Yeah, it's incredible.''
Many flocked to the inaugural parade route after the ceremony to catch a
glimpse of the over 90 groups that joined the new president and vice president
as they made their way down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House.
While unprecedented road closings, strict security checkpoints and freezing
temperatures led some officials -- including Obama -- to issue public warnings
in advance of the all-day celebration, spirits were high among attendees.
''Everybody's in a good mood here, which is amazing, considering there's 5
million people here,' said Florida native Grady Keef, 18, inflating official
crowd estimates. ''People are patient, and happy.''
Keef, who worked on the Obama campaign in his state, said he and the woman next
to him at the ceremony embraced at the end of the swearing-in, despite having
never met before the inauguration.
A 39-year-old Brazilian native who noted the difficulty exiting the Mall in a
timely fashion nonetheless hailed the ''heat of the crowd'' and added that
there was a ''general sense of happiness, of satisfaction.''
Almost two dozen jumbo-sized screens lined the some 3 kilometers of the
National Mall from the Capitol building -- the site of the ceremony -- to the
Lincoln Memorial, which hosted a star-studded concert kicking off the
festivities Sunday.
Still, some had to temper the inevitable disappointment of a more modest view
of the proceedings on the Capitol steps. Even those admitted to standing-room
areas in the immediate vicinity of the Capitol had to compete with fellow
ticket-holders who arrived at security gates long before sunrise.
''Everybody wants to see, but everybody's just happy to be here,'' said New
Yorker Shanna James.
Even as the crowds shifted from the Mall to the tightly packed parade route,
where a glimpse of the presidential motorcade was a special treat for those
without tickets, the general mood was unspoiled.
Maryland resident Jean McEwen, 54, attending her first inauguration, was
delighted even when her view of Obama was limited to a brief sighting of the
new commander-in-chief waving to the crowds, obscured by stands and security
barricades.
''Everybody's smiling!'' McEwen said. ''Yeah, it's incredible.''
