Anti-Trump protesters form human chain across Golden Gate Bridge

LOS ANGELES - Thousands of protesters formed a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge on Friday while thousands more marched through a driving rainstorm in Los Angeles as a state that overwhelmingly voted against Donald Trump's bid for the presidency protested his inauguration.

Soon after Trump was sworn in as the nation's 45th president, some 3,600 people, including many dressed in purple ponchos, lined up arm-in-arm across the brightly colored bridge that is arguably California's most recognizable symbol.

The color purple was chosen, said bridge demonstration organizer Lisa Sato, as a symbol protesting bullying, something the brash new president's critics have often accused him of.

Others carried signs proclaiming "Love Trumps Hate" as they crossed the bridge, careful to stay on its pedestrian walkway and not block the passing cars whose drivers often honked in support.

In Los Angeles, where rain is seen about as often as Trump's "Make America Great Again" hats, some 2,000 people braved a ferocious rainstorm to march across downtown to City Hall.

"Obviously there's nothing we can do - he's president now," one protester, Martin Pineda, said of Trump as he stood amid pouring, wind-whipped rain at downtown's LA Live entertainment district.

"But I think the biggest problem in history that has repeated itself is when people remain silent. And as long as we don't remain silent people will know that we're fighting against what he has to say and what he believes in," Pineda added.

The 26-year-old college student said for his part he would be standing up against Trump's promises to deport millions of people living in the country illegally and to create a national registry for Muslims.

Meanwhile, women's marches protesting Trump's presidency were scheduled Saturday for San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities around the state and nation, including Washington, D.C.

Friday's protests in Los Angeles and San Francisco were largely peaceful, although San Francisco police reported making at least 11 arrests. Police spokeswoman Giselle Talkoff couldn't immediately say what prompted the arrests.

In the city's financial district, several dozen people blocked the 52-story skyscraper that once housed Bank of America's headquarters and is now partly owned by Trump. Another group chained themselves to the nearby Wells Fargo headquarters.

Demonstrators also sought to blockade the San Francisco headquarters of Uber, whose CEO Travis Kalanick has a role on Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum.

Protesters said they wanted to draw attention to the president's ties to big business. Some carried signs proclaiming, "Resist Trump" while others chanted, "No Trump. No wall." Still others laughed as they used sticks to batter piñatas in the shape of Trump's head.

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Jocelyn Gecker reported from San Francisco. Associated Press reporters Janie Har in San Francisco and Amanda Lee Myers in Los Angeles contributed to this story.