Thousands march in Washington days before Trump takes office

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Thousands of people from across the US gathered in the nation's capital on Saturday to show support for women's reproductive rights and other issues they think are in danger due to the incoming Trump administration, reminiscent of the original Women's March days before President Donald Trump's second inauguration.

Eight years following the initial Women's March that took place when Trump first took office, participants said they were surprised by Trump's initial win and are now committed to demonstrating that support for women's access to abortion, transgender rights, and other key issues like combating climate change remains strong.

There will be several protests, rallies, and vigils in the lead-up to the upcoming inauguration on Monday, also addressing topics such as abortion rights, immigration rights, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas. It's one of multiple events taking place across the US, with over 350 similar marches scheduled to occur in every state.

Jill Parrish from Austin, Texas, initially purchased a plane ticket for the inauguration of Kamala Harris as vice president, but she instead changed her plans to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump. Parrish expressed her desire that the world should recognize that more than half of U.S. voters did not support Trump.

"I'm here primarily to express my concern regarding the current condition of our democracy," Parrish stated.

Protesters gathered in squares across Washington ahead of the march, drumming and chanting under a gray sky and biting wind. They then marched to the Lincoln Memorial for a larger rally and festival, where community leaders at the local, state, and national levels set up information booths.

They held signs with slogans like, "Save America" and "If you're against abortions, don't have one" and "Hate will not prevail."

There were brief moments of tension between protesters and supporters of former President Trump. The march briefly came to a halt when a man in a red "Make America Great Again" hat and carrying a green camo backpack walked into a row of demonstrators at the front. The police intervened and separated him from the crowd safely, as the marchers chanted slogans, including "We won't take the bait."

As protesters were approaching the Washington Monument, a small group of men wearing "Make America Great Again" hats appeared to catch the eye of a protest leader using a megaphone. The leader walked closer to the group and began shouting, "No Trump, no KKK!" The groups were kept apart by high black barriers and police officers eventually formed a ring around the area.

Rick Glatz, from Manchester, New Hampshire, said he came to Washington for the sake of his four granddaughters: “I’m a grandpa. And that’s why I’m marching.”

Minnesota high school teacher Anna Bergman donned her original pink "pussy hat" from the 2017 Women's March, a moment that captured the shock and anger of progressives and moderates at Trump's first election win.

With Trump recently retuning, “I just wanted to be surrounded by like-minded individuals on a day like today,” Bergman said.

—to provide added support, especially during a reflective moment for progressive organizing after Donald Trump's decisive victory in November. The Republican will take the oath of office on Monday.

Organized large protests happened in cities all over the country, forming the foundation of a popular grassroots movement known as the Women's March. The protest in Washington drew in over 500,000 participants, while millions more joined similar protests in their local communities, resulting in one of the biggest one-day demonstrations in U.S. history.

This year's turnout at the event was significantly lower than the expected 50,000 participants, a tenth of the size of the original march, which had been a major turning point for the movement. The demonstration took place at a time of introspection and self-reflection for many progressive voters, who were grappling with feelings of exhaustion, disillusionment, and desperation following Harris' defeat.

“One of the first speakers at the event, Rachel O’Leary Carmona of the Women’s March, emphasized that before taking action on democracy, we must first confront our own feelings of hopelessness.”

The scenes of relative quiet sharply contrast with the angry scenes of the inaugural rally, where massive crowds chanted demands through megaphones and wore pink masks while marching in protest of Trump's first presidential election victory.

It's really difficult to replicate a unique moment," said Tamika Middleton, managing director at the Women's March. "It was a very specific moment. In 2017, we hadn't seen a Trump presidency and the level of hostility it represented.

The movement broke apart after a highly successful day of protests over claims it wasn't diverse enough. This year's relaunch as a People's March was a result of a major makeover intended to appeal to a more diverse group. Last Saturday's demonstration highlighted themes related to feminism, racial justice, opposing militarization, and various other issues, and it ended with conversations hosted by different social justice organizations.

The People's March is notable for "bringing together a wide assortment of issues under a single banner," said Jo Reger, a sociology professor who studies social movements at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Women's suffrage marches, for instance, were focused on securing the right to vote.

For a broad-based social justice movement like the march, having conflicting ideas is practically unavoidable and there is "immense pressure" on organizers to meet everyone's needs, Reger said. But she also stated that some disagreement isn't always a negative thing.

"It often brings about change and introduces fresh views, particularly from underrepresented groups," he said.

Middleton, of the Women's March, stated that a huge gathering like the one in 2017 wasn't the objective of Saturday's event. Instead, its focus was on focusing attention on a wider range of issues – women's and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, climate and democracy – rather than concentrating on Trump.

We're not looking at the march as the ultimate goal," Middleton said. "Our focus is on turning out those who participate into organizations and activists who can continue to work for change and advocacy in their own communities for the long run.

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Staff writers Gary Fields, Ellen Knickmeyer and Mike Pesoli helped develop this report.