Women’s march draws massive crowds across the US

Thousands of protesters hit the streets of New York, Washington and Los Angeles for the second annual Women’s March, to be held on Donald Trump’s inauguration anniversary.

The Texas marches echoed similar sentiments expressed at rallies held across the country on the one-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration.

“We had a huge rally, which was incredible”, march spokeswoman Martha Shaughnessy, 38, of San Francisco, said.

“We will make our message heard at the polls this fall”, Emily Patton, a rally organiser, told Washington demonstrators. “That is why we are urging people to register to vote today”. It was one of many around the US and the world in support of female empowerment. In 2018, it is a testament to the power and resilience of women everywhere.

To mark Trump’s first year in office, marchers spilled out of Terry Schrunk Plaza and onto the streets of downtown Portland, following a map that made 12 stops.

In addition to the Women’s March co-chairs, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood; Sen.

Dezie Woods-Jones, the California president of Black Women Organized for Political Action, this morning issued a statement encouraging black women to participate in the march.

In Chicago, thousands of people gathered in Grant Park.

And of course, all of these national protests occurred during an avoidable federal government shutdown.

“Women continue giving us the power”, he said. She now is interested in working for others who are running for office. She spoke up about the criticism she received after revealing her own experiences of abuse.

Protesters are expected to denounce Trump’s hardline immigration policies, promote women’s rights, address the gender pay gap and concerns about health care, and call for the removal of barriers to voting by marginalized communities.

Melbourne march organizer Melissa Goffin said: “I think past year was that watershed moment of President Trump’s election”.

People take part in the Women’s March in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., January 20, 2018.

“The women’s march of previous year was a historical moment that we’re not trying to replicate”, said Bob Bland, who helped organise the 2017 march on Washington, which appeared to draw larger crowds than Trump’s swearing-in at the US Capitol.

Organizers say the tone of this year’s march differs from last year.

In New York, scheduled speakers included Ashley Bennett, a Democrat who was elected Atlantic County, New Jersey, last November.

The 42-year-old Argento was harshly criticized by her compatriots for not telling her story earlier.

Since last year’s march, women have become more vocal and that is a positive sign, said Cathy Mutz, 63, a retired nurse from Chanahan, Illinois.

Actresses such as Viola Davis, Natalie Portman and Eva Longoria took the microphone to extol women’s empowerment and allude to the Hollywood harassment scandals uncovered in recent months, which have sparked feminist movements and social denunciation such as MeToo or Time’s Up.

Trump tweeted support for the thousands of women marching today, highlighting the fact that America is now enjoying the lowest female unemployment rate in 18 years.