Women’s March in Washington Draws Over 500,000
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a global exclamation of defiance and solidarity, more than 1 million people rallied at women's marches in the nation's capital and cities around the world Saturday to send President Donald Trump an emphatic message on his first full day in office that they won't let his agenda go unchallenged.
Hours after the Women's March on Washington was scheduled to end on Saturday, many people continued to march for women's rights.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters moved through the streets of downtown Washington in the evening. Many chanted and waved signs.
There were no known arrests related to Saturday's Washington gathering, which was among the biggest demonstrations in the city's history.
District of Columbia's homeland security director, Christopher Geldart says it's safe to say the crowd at the Women's March exceeded the 500,000 that organizers told city officials to expect.
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Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is doing a quick about-face about the protests that swept through Washington and around the world on Saturday.
Trump tweeted Sunday morning that "Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy."
He then continued, "Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views."
That came less than two hours after he first denounced the protests, which drew more than 1 million people. He tweeted he was "under the impression that we just had an election!" and adds: "Why didn't these people vote?"
While Trump is claiming these protesters didn't vote, that seems unlikely.
Trump won the vote in the Electoral College, putting him in the White House, but Democrat Hillary Clinton captured the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots.