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On Saturday, the People’s March, organised by a coalition of civil society groups opposed to the policies of President-elect Donald Trump, took place in the US capital, Washington, DC. The movement, which began in 2017 as the Women’s March, now holds annual rallies to counter Trumpism, the BBC reports.
Fewer participants but powerful messages
This year’s march gathered significantly fewer participants than in previous years: instead of the expected 50,000, about 5,000 people took to the streets. Most of them were women demanding protection of their rights, including the right to abortion.
One of the protesters told journalists that he was fighting for women’s freedom of choice: “I am here to defend the right to abortion and the freedom of every American.” The leaders of the march chanted slogans: “No to Trump, no to the KKK”.
Smaller protests also took place in New York and Seattle.
Trump returns to power
Donald Trump, who will be officially sworn in for his second inauguration on Monday, arrived in Washington on Saturday evening. The ceremony is expected to attract around 250,000 guests and will be one of the key political events of the new year.
Members of Congress, the Supreme Court, the new cabinet and tens of thousands of invited guests will gather on Capitol Hill for the official swearing-in ceremony.
The first People’s March as a response to Trump’s victory in 2016
The People’s March first took place in 2017, immediately after Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. The movement became a symbol of the struggle against Trump’s political course, which, according to the organisers, threatens democratic values.
