Thousands rally across the US on second Women's March
On Donald Trump's first anniversary, thousands of protesters rallied for a second Women's March against the US president. Marchers in Washington, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and elsewhere donned pink "pussy hats", banged drums and hoisted anti-Trump placards carrying slogans like "Fight like a girl" and "A woman's place is in the White House." The first March took place on January 21, 2017.
According to estimates, 500,000 people gathered in Los Angeles and 200,000 in New York. Celebrities like Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Padma Lakshmi, Yoko Ono and Rosie Perez joined in. The demand was unanimous: "We are here to say, as women, we're not taking it anymore." Last year, 3,000,000 people had turned up.
An unexpected albeit temporary crisis emerged when some protesters decided to stand atop the frozen pool near the Washington monument, and under the warm sun, the pool began to melt. Several people fell into the icy water and had to be fished out, The Guardian reported.
This year, the march comes amid the Me Too and Time's Up campaigns, which have triggered sexual harassment allegations against top players in Hollywood. It also coincided with a federal government shutdown, brought in by the failure of a crucial bill that has left it without funds to operate. Trump, who was to attend an anniversary party in Mar-a-Lago, is meanwhile stuck in Washington.
Trump has decided to change tactics. In 2017, the administration claimed the president drew the "largest audience to witness an inauguration," after reports attendance at the Washington march had surpassed his inauguration audience. This time, he said it's "beautiful weather, a perfect day for all Women to March," asking people to "get out there and celebrate...unprecedented economic success" in the last year.
Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018
