Rev. Al Sharpton holds event to honor Martin Luther King Jr. at Metropolitan AME Church

D.C. was buzzing with activity Monday as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the presidential Inauguration fell on the same day for just the second time in history. 

Famed Civil Rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton held an MLK Day event in D.C. as both a call for unity and a message to the current administration that people will not be silent during the coming Trump administration.

President Donald Trump made a reference to it being MLK Day in his inaugural address at the Capital Rotunda.

"Today is MLK Day and his honor, it will be a great honor, but in his honor we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true," Trump said.

 At the exact same time the president spoke, Sharpton was also speaking from inside the packed Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Northwest D.C.

"Don’t let them hijack what Dr. King was about," Sharpton said. 

 Sharpton warned of "difficult days ahead during the Trump Administration" and emphasized the need for togetherness and unity.

The reverend also announced his National Action Network would be studying the companies who have removed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, or DEI, and said his network may organize boycotts of those companies.  

Sharpton said Dr. King’s movement demands that people speak out about what they see as injustices and sent a message to President Trump that he’s not going anywhere.

 "We shed too much blood. We spent too many nights in jail to think that Trump can turn us around. I wanted to be in Washington to let you know so you didn’t have to hear a rumor. We are right here. We are not going back," Sharpton said. 

Buses of people from up and down the East Coast came to D.C. for this event.

"He’s saying to us, make sure we keep his dream alive and make sure that it’s fair and equal for everyone," said Ruby Cotton, who traveled to D.C. from New Jersey. 

Some attendees told FOX 5 that the inauguration was front of mind while others said they were here to celebrate Dr. King and regardless of the impact of the inauguration, his legacy was front and center in their minds today.

"I think that’s what MLK stood for," said Terace Garnier. "We need to speak up when there are injustices and that’s what we’re here today, so it’s going to be a blessing to be able to experience that in D.C."

Sharpton referenced the symbolism of Metropolitan AME: It’s where Frederick Douglass’s funeral was, and there was a viewing for Rosa Parks here in the 2000s — two historical figures who promoted justice and fairness, something supporters say they’ll fight for the next four years.

 "We wanted to support what we believe in. Martin Luther King, what he stood for, not what this man is standing for in his inauguration.

NewsWashington, D.C.