Thousands gather for Women's March rallies across the US

WASHINGTON — Hundreds gathered in cities across the country Saturday as segment of the nationwide Women’s March rallies centered on points corresponding to climate change, pay fairness, reproductive rights and immigration.

A complete bunch confirmed up in Unusual York City and hundreds in Washington, D.C. for the rallies, which map to harness the political energy of girls folk, though crowds were noticeably smaller than in outdated years. Marches were scheduled Saturday in extra than 180 cities.

The first marches in 2017 drew millions of of us to rallies in cities across the country on the day after PresidentDonald Trumpbecome inaugurated. That three hundred and sixty five days’s D.C. march drew stop to 1 million of us.

In The wide apple on Saturday, hundreds of of us gathered as segment of a “Upward thrust and Cry” rally at separate occasions in Foley Sq. and Columbus Circle.

“This day, we are going to be in a position to be the change that is wanted in this world! This day, we upward thrust into our energy!” activist Donna Hylton told a cheering crowd in Foley Sq..

Snow began falling by the afternoon in The wide apple, curiously striking a damper on plans for the two groups to converge in neat numbers stop to Times Sq..

In downtown Los Angeles, hundreds of men, girls folk and younger of us stuffed several blocks as they made their design from a plaza to a park adjoining to City Hall, where a rally featured speeches by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the foremost other of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Score. Maxine Waters and others.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom credited girls folk for mobilizing against gun violence, rising the #MeToo motion against sexual harassment and discrimination, and taking abet the Democratic majority within the Rental of Representatives.

“In 2020, I even non-public no question that this would possibly seemingly well be girls folk who will lead over again, get up and pass this country ahead on a course in direction of justice,” she talked about.

In Denver, organizers opted to skip the rally after the march and as a exchange invited contributors to meet with local organizations to learn extra about points corresponding to reproductive rights, climate change, gun safety and vote casting.

Several thousand came out for the direct in Washington, far fewer than closing three hundred and sixty five days when about 100,000 of us held a rally east of the White Rental. But as in outdated years, a great deal of the protesters made the time out to the nation’s capital from cities across the country to accurate their opposition to Trump and his insurance policies. From their gathering enlighten on Freedom Plaza, they had a particular glance down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol, where the impeachment trial will get underway within the Senate subsequent week.

In Washington, three key points perceived to galvanize most of the protesters: climate change, immigration and reproductive rights.

“I sigh a great deal of immigrant students, and in political instances delight in this I desire to originate obvious I am utilizing my declare to discuss up for them,” talked about Rochelle McGurn, 30, an traditional college teacher from Burlington, Vermont who become in D.C. to march. “They non-public got to in actuality feel delight in they belong, because they raze.”

Peta Madry of Unusual London, Connecticut, become celebrating her 70th birthday in D.C. by attending her fourth Women’s March with her sister, Cynthia Barnard, of San Rafael, California. Each and every girls folk were sporting handknitted crimson hats that date from the first march. With pained expressions, they spoke about Trump’s dedication to reverse the insurance policies of his predecessor Barack Obama and his medication of girls folk.

“Peek what he’s doing to Greta Thunberg,” Madry talked about, referring to the teenage climate activist. “He’s the ideally suited bully within the enviornment.”

Melissa McCullough of Georgetown, Indiana, talked about when she lately become 50 she promised herself that she would get extra fervent politically. “I’m right here to direct Trump, as a girl,” she talked about.

Her daughter, 19-three hundred and sixty five days-damaged-down University of Cincinnati pupil Elizabeth McCullough, chimed in to issue that nearly all girls folk’s points are human points, and in sigh that they talked in regards to the non-public to present protection to immigrants.

“You would possibly seemingly well seemingly even non-public to push to present protection to all people or no person’s valid,” Melissa McCullough talked about.

The protesters deliberate to march around the White Rental, nevertheless Trump wasn’t there. He’s spending the scamper back and forth weekend at his resort in Florida.

Organizers of the Washington march faced criticism from some local African American activists for failing to level of interest on local points and unfavorable the ability of local activists to prepare.

“Native D.C. is a domestic colony and the actions of national organizers non-public to acknowledge that,” Dusky Lives Topic D.C. wrote in a letter this week to Women’s March organizers. “Here in D.C., these unstrategic mass mobilizations distract from local organizing, incessantly fail to identify the dim of us that in actuality dwell right here and even consequence in tougher criminal pointers against demonstration being handed within the community.”

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This narrative has been up thus far to only the activist’s identify to Donna Hylton, no longer Hill. ———

Associated Press reporter Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this document.