Robert De Niro and Michael Moore led dozens of celebrities in an anti-Trump protest in New York on the eve of the inauguration.

The pair were among the A-listers who joined thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the President-elect’s Trump International Hotel and Tower in the heart of his home town.

Mr De Niro thanked his “overrated” friends for coming in, a sarcastic reference to Mr Trump’s comments about Meryl Streep after she criticised him during a recent awards ceremony.

Robert De Niro wants to punch Donald Trump in the face

The film star proceeded to read out some messages Mr Trump could potentially live-tweet from his swearing-in ceremony tonight.

He suggested one tweet might be: "De Niro’s career is a disaster…he should give back his Oscars. Voting was rigged. There’s only one true raging bull and that is Vladimir Putin.”

And he called the billionaire businessman “a bad example of the country, of this city.”

The actor told the crowd: “The President-elect said our country was a dumping ground for the world. Really? These huddles masses yearning to breathe free built our country and the lifeblood of our strong, diverse beautiful New York City.

“They gave us the strength to prosper in the mid-seventies when the Government told us to drop dead. They gave us the strength to recover from the tragedy of 9/11.”

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Alec Baldwin, Cher, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Sally Field and Nathalie Merchant also attended the We Stand United rally, organised by Greenpeace and MoveOn.

Other big names who appeared included New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and actors Rosie Perez, Mark Ruffalo and Alec Baldwin – who delighted the crowd with his impression of Mr Trump.

On a more sombre note, film-maker Mr Moore warned the crowd: “We’re at a very dangerous moment in history. As bad as you think it’s going to be, it’s going to be worse.”

“With a lot of work on our part, we will stop this man,” the film-maker said. “He will not last four years.”

Mr Moore called for “100 days of protest” against “sociopath” Mr Trump as he starts his presidency.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, called on Americans across the country to "rise up" and make their objections to the incoming administration heard.

He said: “Donald Trump always liked to say he built a movement, well now it's time for us to build our movement and that starts tonight, and it's all over the country, tonight, tomorrow and in the days to come.”

He urged the crowd to fight to preserve Obamacare, measures taken to protect the environment and LGBT rights gained under the outgoing President.

"Look at the thousands here tonight and that is only the beginning," he added.