More anti-Trump protests planned across US

A second consecutive day of protests against US President Donald Trump's will take place later today in cities across the country, with activists urging Americans to skip work and school in a show of dissent.

Strike4Democracy, one of the groups organizing the #F17 General Strike, said that over 100 public protests were expected.

About 16,000 people responded to a Facebook page for a march at New York's Washington Square Park on Friday. Protests are also planned in Chicago, New Orleans and Mason City, Iowa.

"This is how we stop Trump and the entire corrupt political establishment before they destroy us and the planet we call home," the F17 Facebook page said.

Strike4Democracy urged Americans to stay away from work if possible and take part in a community service. It called on people not to make purchases and instead donate their lunch money to a worthy cause and contact congressional representatives about the strike.

Michelle Rodino-Colocino, an organiser for Strike4Democracy, told NBC News that the idea of a "general strike" had originally been floated online, but ten took off on its own, with dozens of organizers working independently to stage events.

The Strike4Democracy website said the protest was aimed at halting "the authoritarian assault on our fundamental, constitutional rights" and the victimisation of women, Muslims, immigrants and others.

The planned rallies follow the Day Without Immigrants nationwide protest on Thursday against Trump's immigration policies. Businesses shut their doors, students missed school and thousands of demonstrators rallied to highlight the importance of immigrants to the U.S. economy.

Trump, who took office in January, has signed an executive order temporarily banning entry to the United States by travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees. However, federal appeals court judges have temporarily blocked the travel ban.