Thousands of people from Boston to Los Angeles gathered on Saturday to protest President Donald J. Trump, including handling the war in Ukraine, his stance on reproductive rights, and firing federal workers.
Approximately 300 protests were scheduled nationwide, organized to commemorate International Women's Day. It attracted at least thousands of protesters, as it does in Washington Square Park in Manhattan. Others have attracted more scattered interest in smaller cities such as Richmond, Virginia, Sarasota, Florida, and Port Angeles, Washington. More than 120 people were portrayed in Madison, Wisconsin.
In New York City, protesters expressed anger at Ukrainian president's treatment of Trump, restrictions on transgender rights, and what they consider to be a rip-off of the country's democracy.
Nancy Lewis, 80, attended a civil rights demonstration in Selma, Alabama as a teenager. Lauren Yu, 26, rarely protested. Both wanted to join the crowd.
“A lot of women feel like they're going back in time, so it feels like it's good to come here and express our concerns and stand with all of the women,” Your said.
International Women's Day is not as widely praised as other countries. However, organizers said Americans seeking to protest view the opportunity as an appropriate time to rally. The women's group was taking the lead to coordinate the major protest that greeted Trump's first inauguration eight years ago, known as Women's March. Millions of Americans joined the 2017 protest, the biggest day-long public demonstration in US history.
Trump's second inauguration faced a much more calm response, reflecting tactical changes and perhaps more uncertain opposition.
Recent blitzers, including fundraising freezes, shootings and executive orders, have been looking for opportunities for demonstration by many Americans, according to Rachel O'Leary Carmona, executive director of women in March who organized Saturday's rally. The group was founded in March 2017 by some organizers.
Participants from various communities focused on a variety of concerns, including shootings at the National Park Service and restrictions on abortion.
“It's all that people are worried about because there's no aspect of these attacks that no one can touch,” she said.
In Madison, some attendees carried signs in favour of Susan Crawford, a liberal candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, who supports abortion rights. One attendee, 32-year-old engineer Lynn McMahon, said the state Supreme Court competition is linked to a wider attack on women.
“Sitting on your couch and 'slacktivism' doesn't help, it's about coming out, talking to people, talking to friends, making a difference,” she said.
For Ricky Sajibel, a 67-year-old former home mother and a member of a group called Madison's Raging Granny, Saturday's rally concluded her busy activism.
“It's the fourth protest in a week,” she said.
Christina Rifling and ana facio-krajcer Reports of contributions.
