Thousands hold anti-Trump rally in Washington ahead of inauguration

Thousands of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets of Washington DC on Saturday to demonstrate 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 confronting “Trumpism,” according to its website. Smaller anti-Trump protests were held in New York City and across the country in Seattle.

The demonstrations coincide with Trump’s arrival in the nation’s capital for a series of weekend events leading up to his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Saturday’s People’s March in Washington DC attracted smaller numbers than its predecessors.

Organizers expected 50,000 people to attend. About 5,000 people showed up.

Protesters gathered in three parks before marching to the Lincoln Memorial for the demonstration.

The groups behind the march are described on their website as having “intersecting identities” and having “varied thematic interests” with different causes such as climate change, immigration and women’s rights.

Organizers said their goal was 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. Seeing the men in red Make America Great Again hats, a People’s March leader with a megaphone approached yelling, “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.

Wallis, 58, of Pocatello, Idaho, said People’s March protesters had “every right” to demonstrate, although he said he was confused by the rancor.

“The situation we find ourselves in as a country is sad,” he said.

The first version of the People’s March took place after Trump defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Women called a protest the day after Trump’s first inauguration and hundreds of thousands responded.

The movement spread beyond the nation’s capital, with millions of women across the United States carrying signs against the Republican president and wearing pink knit “pussy hats,” a reference to a leaked tape in which Trump boasted about touch women’s genitals.

The Women’s March remained a key part of the so-called resistance to Trump’s agenda in the years that followed.

But none of the subsequent marches have been on the same scale.

Meanwhile, Trump was due to arrive in Washington, DC, later on Saturday to begin his inaugural festivities with a private fireworks event at his golf club in suburban Virginia.

The women who gathered in Washington to join the People’s March told the BBC they had various motivations.

One woman, Brooke, said she wanted to show her support for abortion access.

“I’m really not happy with the way our country voted,” she said. “It makes me very sad that our country has turned towards a president who has already failed us once and that we did not nominate a female candidate.”

Another woman, Kayla, said it was a mix of emotions that brought her to the streets of the nation’s capital.

“Honestly, I’m angry, sad and overwhelmed,” she said.

Susie came from the San Francisco Bay Area to demonstrate with her sister, Anne, who lives nearby. They both attended 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,” he said. “Trump has been emboldened. He has the billionaire class and the tech class leaning in.”

Anne also said she recognized that protesters were “out of touch” with much of the United States.

But he added: “We are still here and we will resist.”

Holly Honderich and Alex Lederman contributed to this report.