Thousands of mostly female protesters took to the streets of Washington DC on Saturday to rally against President-elect Donald Trump two days before his inauguration.
The People’s March – formerly known as the Women’s March – has been held every year since 2017.
A coalition of groups organized the movement with the stated goal of opposing “Trumpism,” according to its website. Smaller protests against Trump were held in New York and on the other side of the country in Seattle.
The rallies coincide with Trump’s arrival in the nation’s capital for a series of weekend events ahead of his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
Saturday’s People’s March in Washington DC drew fewer people than its predecessors.
The organizers expected 50,000 people. About 5,000 of them gathered.
Protesters gathered in three parks before marching to the Lincoln Memorial for a rally.
The groups behind the march are described on their website as having “intersecting identities” and having “diverse issue-based interests” with causes as diverse as climate change, immigration and women’s rights.
Organizers said they aim to counter Trump “by building on past successes and effective strategies against autocrats.”
A small group of pro-Trump supporters were at the Washington Monument on Saturday. Noticing men in red Make America Great Again hats, one leader of the People’s March approached with a megaphone chanting, “Not Trump, but the KKK.”
One of the men, Timothy Wallis, told the Associated Press that his friends had just bought Trump hats from a street vendor.
Wallis, 58, of Pocatello, Idaho, said the People’s March protesters had “every right” to protest, though he said he was confused by the anger.
“It’s sad where we are as a country,” he said.
The first iteration of the People’s March gathered after Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Women called for a protest the day after Trump’s first inauguration, and hundreds of thousands responded.
The movement spread beyond the capital with millions of women across the US carrying signs against the Republican president and wearing pink knitted “cunt hats” – a reference to a leaked video of Trump bragging about grabbing female genitalia.
The Women’s March remained a key part of the so-called resistance to the Trump agenda in the years that followed.
But none of the subsequent marches were on the same scale.
Trump, meanwhile, was due to arrive in Washington DC later on Saturday to kick off his inauguration 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 different motives.
One woman, Brooke, said she wanted to show her support for access to abortion.
“I’m really not happy with the way our country voted,” she said. I am very sad that our country has turned to a president who has already failed us once and that we did not nominate a female candidate.
Another woman, Kayla, said she was drawn to the streets of the capital by a mix of emotions.
– Honestly, I’m just angry, I’m sad, I’m devastated – she said.
Susie came from the San Francisco Bay Area to protest with her sister Anne, who lives nearby. Both were at the Women’s March after Trump’s first inauguration and came back in their “kitties.”
Susie recalled the crowds in 2017. She said she hoped people would still take to the streets against Trump’s policies.
“The stakes are higher this time,” she said. “Trump is emboldened. The billionaire class and the tech class have bowed to him.”
Anne also said she recognizes the protesters are “out of touch” with the majority of America.
But she added: “We are still here and we will resist.”
Holly Honderich and Alex Lederman contributed to this report
