Thousands of protesters, most of them women, took to the streets of Washington DC on Saturday to rally against President-elect Donald Trump, two days before his inauguration.
The People’s March – formerly known as the Women’s March – has taken place every year since 2017.
A coalition of groups organized the movement with the stated goal of fighting “Trumpism,” according to its website. Smaller protests against Trump took place in New York and across the country in Seattle.
The rallies coincide with Trump’s arrival in the nation’s capital for a series of weekend events leading up to his inauguration ceremony Monday.
Saturday’s People’s March in Washington DC attracted fewer people than its predecessors.
The organizers expected 50,000 people. About 5,000 people showed up.
Protesters gathered in three parks before marching to the Lincoln Memorial for the rally.
Getty ImagesThe groups behind the march are described on its website as holding “intersecting identities” and having “diverse interests” relating to different causes such as climate change, immigration and women’s rights.
The women who gathered in Washington to join the People’s March told the BBC they had a variety of motivations.
One protester, Brooke, said she wanted to show support for abortion access.
“I’m really not happy with the way our country voted,” she said. “I’m really sad that our country turned to a president who already failed us once and that we didn’t nominate a female candidate.”
Another woman, Kayla, said it was a mix of emotions that led her to take to the streets of the nation’s capital.
“Honestly, I’m just angry, I’m sad, I’m overwhelmed,” she said.
Getty ImagesThe first edition of the People’s March took place after Trump defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Women called for protests the day after Trump’s first inauguration, and hundreds of thousands responded.
The movement has spread beyond the nation’s capital with millions of women across the United States carrying signs against the Republican president and sporting pink knit “pussy hats” — a reference to a leaked tape in which Trump bragged about grabbing women’s genitals.
The Women’s March has remained a key part of the so-called resistance to Trump’s agenda in the years since.
But none of the subsequent protests have been of the same magnitude.
Meanwhile, Trump has arrived in Washington, DC later Saturday to begin his inaugural festivities with a private event featuring fireworks at his golf club in suburban Virginia.
Getty ImagesMarch organizers said they aimed to confront Trump by “building on past successes and effective strategies against autocrats.”
A small group of Trump supporters were at the Washington Monument on Saturday. Noticing the men wearing red Make America Great Again hats, a People’s March leader approached with a megaphone chanting, “No Trump, no KKK.”
One of the men, Timothy Wallis, told the Associated Press news agency that his friends had just bought the Trump hats from a street vendor.
Mr. Wallis, 58, of Pocatello, Idaho, said the People’s March demonstrators had “every right” to demonstrate, although he said he was baffled by the rancor.
“It’s sad where we are as a country,” he said.
Getty ImagesAnother protester the BBC spoke with came to Washington specifically for the march.
Susie came from the San Francisco area to protest with her sister Anne, who lives nearby. They both participated in the Women’s March after Trump’s first inauguration and returned with their “pussy hats.”
Susie recalled the crowds of people in 2017. She said she hoped people would still take to the streets against Trump’s policies.
“This time the stakes are higher,” she said. “Trump was emboldened. He made the billionaire and tech classes bow down.”
Anne also said she recognized the protesters were “disconnected” from much of America. Trump won all seven swing states and the popular vote last November.
But she added: “We are still here and we will resist.”
Holly Honderich and Alex Lederman contributed to this report
