Tens of thousands take to US streets for Women´s March

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of US cities on Saturday for a second Women´s March opposing President Donald Trump on the first anniversary of his inauguration.

The demonstrations come one year after more than three million people turned out nationwide to voice opposition to the president, according to a Washington Post estimate. The flagship rally was held in Washington, with sister protests echoing worldwide.

The expectations for this year´s marches are more modest than the explosive turnout last year, but the weekend of demonstration aims to keep the momentum of resistance rolling with the theme “Power to the Polls” — a message designed to drive national voter registration and maximize women´s involvement in the 2018 midterm elections, in which a record number of women are standing for election.

Marchers gathered en masse in Washington, New York, Chicago, Denver and other cities in the United States Saturday, many donning the famous pink knit “pussy hats,” caps referencing Trump´s videotaped boasts of being able to grope women with impunity.

“We went to the first women´s march, but we feel like our work isn´t done and that there´s so much more that we need to fix,” said Tanaquil Eltson, 14, who demonstrated in 2017 and came again for Saturday´s march in Washington with her mother.

“I know the world around me isn´t happy colors; it´s scary. But I´m excited to be able to fix it,” she said, clad in a red and blue Superwoman outfit.

Her mother Vitessa, a retired US army lieutenant colonel, also expressed hope for progress.

“I´ve lived through decades of sexual harassment issues and it´s getting better — but it´s nowhere near where it needs to be,” she said, sporting a full Wonder Woman costume in coordination with her daughter.

“Issues that face women are just not being represented well enough in our country, so it´s a privilege to be able to get out here and try to do something from a citizen standpoint.”

Thousands of protestors hoisted placards with messages including “Fight like a girl” and “A woman´s place is in the White House.”

Another took aim at Trump´s government: “I´ve seen smarter cabinets at IKEA,” it said, referring to a furniture store with items requiring often-tedious and time-consuming assembly.

More than 300 towns and cities are organizing anniversary marches and rallies, not all of them affiliated with each other. In New York, 82,000 people have registered as “interested” in attending on the event´s Facebook page.