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Emotional Day Ends in Jubilation for Some, Stoicism for Others
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The most remarkable scene unfolded after midnight in front of the White House. Under the watchful eye of the Secret Service and the Park Police, a predominantly young crowd waved huge American flags and sported signs that said "Yes we did!" Some climbed fences around the construction site where inaugural reviewing stands are going up.
A group of about a half-dozen Georgetown athletes said they jogged spontaneously from campus after hearing of Obama's victory. "This might be the best day of my life," said Danielle Bailey, 18, a freshman from Florida.
Kyle Poole, 48, a financier, said he brought a flag because he felt "honored and proud."
"I was once a Republican," he said. "Then George Bush came to the White House and now I'm thrilled to be here with the flag."
As late as 2:30 a.m., revelers were streaming south on 16th Street by car and foot. In front of the darkened White House, chants of every stripe continued.
"Biden! Biden!"
On a chain-link fence erected by inaugural construction crews, someone hung the sign: "Welcome Home Malia and Sasha!"
While many of those at the White House came from the celebration on U Street, others marched over from the 9:30 Club, where the hip-hop group Flobot halted its concert when Obama began speaking. Club patrons headed to the White House.
"It's the moment of change," said Ana Sarmiento, 19, of Colorado. "I've never seen anything like it."
In neighborhoods throughout the District, celebrations spilled onto the streets and filled the air. Police reported the sound of gunfire in four of the seven patrol districts but said there were no injuries.
Revelers turned U Street between 10th and 14th streets into a virtual Mardi Gras with music and dancing. "The good guys won!" shouted Jay Freni, 36, a waiter. "This is the moral arc of Martin Luther King. This is justice and people want it."
As firecrackers sounded close to 2 a.m., Bernard Gilchrest, stuck in traffic at 12th and U for more than an hour, was a happy man. The retired bus driver traded high-fives with total strangers while tooting on his horn.
