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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Amber Jamieson and Nicola Slawson and Nadia Khomami

Women's March events take place in Washington and around the world – as it happened

Voices from the Women’s March on Washington

Ten notable women's marches from across the country

Washington, DC

Thousands of people on Pennsylvania Avenue participate in the Women’s March and rally to protest President Donald J. Trump the day after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.
Thousands of people on Pennsylvania Avenue participate in the Women’s March and rally to protest President Donald J. Trump the day after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA

One million people marched in the historic Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, according to initial estimates, in a stunning show of protest on the first full day of the Trump administration.

A sea of peaceful protesters wore pink pussyhats as crowds poured into the streets of downtown DC, easily outnumbering those attending the inauguration on Friday.

Celebrity performers and speakers included singers Alicia Keys, Madonna and Janelle Monáe, activists Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis and actors America Ferrera and Ashley Judd.

Los Angeles

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Downtown Los Angeles for the Women’s March in protest after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Downtown Los Angeles for the Women’s March in protest after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The LAPD estimates 500,000 people took to the streets of Los Angeles, although event organizers say the number of protesters was even higher, according to the LA Times. It is reportedly the highest turnout for any rally in the city for at least a decade.

Chicago

William Rosen looks over protesters as they participate in the Women’s March on January 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois.
William Rosen looks over protesters as they participate in the Women’s March on January 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: John Gress/Getty Images

Chicago, Illinois saw a huge turn out, with estimates of 250,000 people. The actual march itself was cancelled due to the huge crowds, turning the event into a rally that spilled out of Grant Park.

New York

Massive crowds march past Grand Central Station on 42nd Street during the Women’s March to protest the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States on January 21, 2017 in New York City.
Massive crowds march past Grand Central Station on 42nd Street during the Women’s March to protest the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States on January 21, 2017 in New York City. Photograph: UPI / Barcroft Images

Around 200,000 New Yorkers rallied in Midtown Manhattan, double the number of protesters had estimated. The marchers, who had to be staggered in waves because of the numbers, headed up Fifth Avenue towards Trump Tower.

“What’s at stake is everything you believe in,” said actor Whoopi Goldberg told the crowd.

Atlanta

Thousands of people marched through Atlanta one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Thousands of people marched through Atlanta one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Photograph: John Bazemore/AP

Thousands turned out for a social justice march in Atlanta, Georgia, with civil rights hero and congressman John Lewis telling the crowd to “never quit” “never give up” and to get into “good trouble.”

“I know something about marching”, he said at the end of his remarks, then the civil rights legend shook hands as he made his way to the front of the march.

Denver

Hundreds of thousands of people packed the streets across the US on Saturday in a massive outpouring of defiant opposition to America’s new president, Donald Trump.
Hundreds of thousands of people packed the streets across the US on Saturday in a massive outpouring of defiant opposition to America’s new president, Donald Trump. Photograph: Jason Connolly/AFP/Getty Images

An estimated 100,000 people in Denver turned up to protest at the Civic Center, chanting “love not hate makes America great.”

Phoenix

Thousands of demonstrators march in support of the Women’s March on Washington Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, in Phoenix.
Thousands of demonstrators march in support of the Women’s March on Washington Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, in Phoenix. Photograph: Ross D. Franklin/AP

A march that started at the Arizona State Capitol and paraded through the streets of Phoenix, Arizon attracted 20,000 people, according to an estimate by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

“I am amazed at the turnout, especially in a red state on a rainy day,” the interim chair for progressive political organization Stronger Together AZ, told local media.

Boston

Demonstrators gather on Boston Common during the Boston Women’s March for America.
Demonstrators gather on Boston Common during the Boston Women’s March for America. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

More than 100,000 protesters crowded into the Boston Commons, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the fiercest criticisms of Donald Trump.

“We can whimper. We can whine. Or we can fight back!” she declared to the crowd, reports the Boston Globe.

Oakland

Festive mood as thousands turn out to the Oakland women’s march.
Festive mood as thousands turn out to the Oakland women’s march. Photograph: Julia Carrie Wong

In Oakland, California 60,000 people took to the streets for the local women’s march, with hundreds also rallying in neighboring Berkeley.

Austin

Protesters march down Congress Street in Austin as they take part in the Austin Women’s March.
Protesters march down Congress Street in Austin as they take part in the Austin Women’s March. Photograph: C Sacco/ddp USA/Barcroft Images

In Austin, the liberal capital of Texas, police estimated 50,000 people turned out for the local women’s march, 20,000 more than organizers had expected.

From the women’s march in Atlanta, Georgia:

Dianna Settles, on the right, with a print she made at her Atlanta, Georgia store.
Dianna Settles, on the right, with a print she made at her Atlanta, Georgia store. Photograph: Jamiles Lartey

Dianna Settles owns a store downtown where she has a letterpress, pressed this design for free for anyone going to a women’s march.

“I was looking for a quote that was encouraging but also unwavering,” she said.

A march in Springfield, Missouri:

Marchers boo at the Trump hotel in DC

Women’s March on Washington marchers outside the Trump Hotel
Women’s March on Washington marchers outside the Trump Hotel Photograph: Molly Redden

In DC, the march spilled beyond the mall and took over much of downtown, with throngs of people marching down major arteries of the city a mile north of the official route.

Cars are honking in support or annoyance.

On Pennsylvania Ave, cheers and boos erupt loudest as groups march past the hotel Trump has developed in the old post office.

This might cause some family drama...

Best chants of the marches, as heard by our reporters:

  • “We want a leader, not a creepy tweeter”
  • “Can’t build a wall - hands too small”
  • “He’s orange, he’s gross, he lost the popular vote”

Have you heard others? Add them in the comments!

No arrests or police incidents at women's march

DC police tell the Guardian there have been no arrests or incidents at the Women’s March on Washington today.

Earlier today, Bill Miller, the public information officer for the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, released a statement that AO’s office is “continuing to evaluate” charges against approximately 230 adults who were arrested in protests and clashes in the nation’s capital around the time of Trump’s inaugural parade yesterday.

Wrote Miller:

We expect that most of those arrested will be charged by our office with felony rioting, (D.C. Official Code 22-1322), an offense punishable by a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.

Those arrested will face hearings at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia today.

Video: Amy Schumer and Madonna at DC march

Oakland march: 'yesterday was dark but today the sun is coming out

Over to the west coast, with Julia Carrie Wong attending the Oakland women’s march:

The atmosphere was festive at the Oakland women’s march, where organizers estimated several tens of thousands of people took to the streets Saturday morning.

“Yesterday may have been a dark day for a lot of people, but today is just about the sun coming out,” said Tracie Noriega, an educator from Union City who marched with her daughter. “It’s hope. You need to find some optimism.”

A city with a strong protest culture, the march drew many first time marchers from around the Bay Area.
Teresa Medina, a first time protester from Pittsburgh, California, marched with a sorority sister from Sigma Lamda Gamma.

“I’m out here just to take a stand against all the hate Trump has been projecting out,” Medina said, adding that Trump’s “disrespect for Mexican immigrants” was very upsetting for her, since her mother is Mexican.
“We fought so hard not to be stereotyped,” she said. “To see other people agree with Trump was hurtful.”
Another first time protester, Z Wolt of San Leandro, said she was “disgusted” with Trump.
“He’s diminishing everyone. He’s diminishing American values,” she said.
But the Ethiopian immigrant said that she was thrilled to take part in the Woman’s March.
“I’m so proud,” she said. “I feel very connected to everyone here, like we are all one.”

From Guardian US deputy head of news, Paul Owen, taken near the White House at the DC march:

Updated

From the NYC march:

The other women's marches: from Boston to the Bahamas

While the biggest US marches of the day (beyond Washington) are taking place in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, plenty of smaller events are under way, too:

From elsewhere on the east coast...

Over 600 people marched in Ocean City, MD to protest the incoming administration.

...to way out west:

Cold and wind is not holding this crowd back

Plus, a large gathering in Detroit:

And in Boston:

100,000 people on Boston Common listening to Senator Elizabeth Warren. Trump would go crazy at all the nasty things being said about him!

Pink hats, pink houses, same difference, right?

Small group of concerned world citizens on an island in the Northern Bahamas showing their solidarity with the marchers in Washington.

If you’re marching today, tell us about it. Share your photos and stories, via GuardianWitness.

Donald Trump just spoke at CIA headquarters in nearby Langley, Virginia, just outside of DC, however did not mention the hundreds of thousands of women marching against him across the country and world today.

He did, however, note how big his inauguration crowd was yesterday.

Yep, the smaller crowd is from Trump’s inauguration.

Video: Janelle Monáe says 'choose freedom over fear'

Five hours after speeches first began, they are finally wrapping up the DC rally.

The speakers and musical performers were supposed to finish at 1pm, so the march as at least two and a half hours behind schedule.

The march is still going ahead.

From the women’s march in Atlanta, Georgia:

Anti-Trump protests, Atlanta, USA - 20 Jan 2017
Anti-Trump protests, Atlanta, USA - 20 Jan 2017 Photograph: ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock

Congressman John Lewis addressed the protest crowd in his home district to raucous cheers of “we love John” and “district five!” (a reference to his congressional district).

He encouraged the crowd to “never quit” “never give up” and to get into “good trouble.”

“I know something about marching” he said at the end of his remarks, then the civil rights legend shook hands as he made his way to the front of the march.

Updated

Madonna now singing her 1994 hit Human Nature, she dedicates it to Donald Trump.

She gets the crowd to sing along with her:

“I’m not your bitch”

“Don’t hang your shit on me”

“Donald Trump suck a dick”

Video: Alicia Keys sings 'Girl on Fire'

Madonna: 'welcome to the revolution of love'

Madonna
Madonna Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Brooklyn Museum

Another surprise celebrity guest! Singer Madonna just came out to speak.

“Are you ready to shake up the world? Welcome to the revolution of love. To the rebellion. To our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny, where not just women are endangered but all marginalized people,” says Madonna.

“It took this horrific moment of darkness to wake us the fuck up,” she declares. “It seems as though we had all slipped into a false sense of comfort. That justice would prevail, that good will win in the end. Well, good did not win this election but good will win in the end.

“Today marks the beginning of our story. The revolution starts here. The fight for the right to be free to be who we are to be equal. Let’s march together through this darkness and with each step know that we are not afraid, that we are not alone, that we will not back down.

“To our detractors who insist that this march will never add up to anything: fuck you,” she declares.

“Yes I am angry. Yes I have thought a lot about blowing up the White House. But that won’t change anything,” adds Madonna.

She then busts out into her hit Express Yourself.

Updated

Laila Abdelziz at the Women’s March on Washington
Laila Abdelziz at the Women’s March on Washington Photograph: Molly Redden

Laila Abdelziz on why she’s marching in DC today:

[I’m] here to stand in solidarity with my friends and fellow Nation friends and women. I’ve been a political activist and community organizer my whole life. I’m Palestinian, I’m a refugee. I’m Russian. I’m Muslim. I’m a woman. I care about radically transforming communities to make them healthier and safer. I’ve grown up all over this country. Inequality is increasing dramatically and I see it in my community every day.

She was born in Palestine, came to Baltimore as a refugee.

Trump started the movement to identify refugees as a threat. To associate politically and culturally and socially people who have been abandoned by every safety net in their societies and have absolutely nowhere to go. Being someone who knows what that feels like, being the first world where there’s so much wealth, I know that we have an obligation to just be human to one another. And I don’t think we’re meeting that obligation. At a time where there are more displaced people than ever in history.

NYC women's march attracts thousands

People protest near Grand Central Station in Manhattan, New York following Donald Trump’s inauguration.
People protest near Grand Central Station in Manhattan, New York following Donald Trump’s inauguration. Photograph: Wendy Orr for the Guardian

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers marched to Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan for New York’s women’s march, with many local politicians speaking out about Donald Trump.

People protest on 42nd street in Manhattan, New York in response to Donald Trump’s inauguration.
People protest on 42nd street in Manhattan, New York in response to Donald Trump’s inauguration. Photograph: Wendy Orr for the Guardian
Actor Helen Mirren joined the Women’s March in New York, NY.
Actor Helen Mirren joined the Women’s March in New York, NY. Photograph: Kerry Eustice for the Guardian

The signs today are so great, this one is also worth a special mention:

Updated

The march will still be going ahead, says organizers.

“You may have read a story that says we are not marching. I am here to tell you we are marching and we are going to use Constitution Avenue,” said a women’s march organizer.

At the Atlanta march, congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis took to the stage.

The crowd chants “we love John”, “thank you John” and “district five”, a reference to Lewis’ district that Donald Trump insulted last week by calling it “falling apart” (the Guardian went there this week and found affluent neighborhoods).

Janelle Monáe leading a powerful call-and-response with the Mothers of the Movement, in her song “Hell You Talmbout”, with the mothers calling out their children’s names and the corwd chanting back “say his name”.

Trans activist Cherno Biko is also on stage, chanting the names of black trans women who have been killed.

Video: Scarlett Johansson speaks at march

The Associated Press reports that so many protesters turned out in DC that a formal march cannot go ahead.

A massive turnout at the Women’s March on Washington has forced a change of plans. With the entire planned route filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters, organizers can’t lead a formal march toward the White House.

That’s according to a District of Columbia official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official isn’t authorized to speak for the march.

But the organizers of the march keep leading chants about marching and note they will soon march and “shut Washington down” once the final performers and speakers have performed.

Singer Janelle Monáe takes the stage, saying her grandmother was a sharecropper and her mother was a janitor.

“It was woman that gave you Dr Martin Luther King Jr. It was woman who gave you Malcolm X. And according to the bible, it was a woman who gave you Jesus,” said Monáe.

Updated

Surprise guest singer Alicia Keys comes out and starts quoting from Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise poem.

Then begins belting out her hit “This Girl is on Fire,” changing the lyrics to “these girls are on fire”.

Reports that Chicago is the second biggest women’s march after the DC event.

Rain doesn't keep away crowds for Atlanta's women's march

From reporter Jamiles Lartey in Atlanta, Georgia:

A morning of steady soaking rain gave way just around 1 pm, the scheduled start of Atlanta’s March for social justice and women.

Already a large crowd in the thousands had begun to filter in with rain ponchos umbrellas and signs reading “rape is not presidential” and “hate does not make America great”. The crowd rapidly exceeded the confines of the city’s civil and human rights center, spreading out into the surrounding streets.


“I just had to come out and be heard that this is not normal,” said denominator Carla Neal.
Over 55 civil rights and social justice organizations made up the coalition putting on the march. Around 1:20pm the first event speakers took the podium to address the crowd ahead of the march heading off for the Georgia state capitol building.

From solidarity women’s marches from around the world, via GuardianWitness:

As an immigrant, gay, white man married to a mixed-race man, with an immigrant disabled son, I recognise that my family is under threat from Trump and those like him. I am marching because politics is always about identity, and because one human's rights are another human's rights, and because being straight, male and American is neither qualification nor achievement — nor does it make you right.

The solidarity march in Leeds had a surprisingly big turnout, probably close to 1000 people. For me, this photo of my friend says it all - how long women have been fighting Trump's brand of misogyny and entitlement, and how it is more important than ever that we continue to fight the rise of hatred in all its forms.

Video: Kamala Harris addresses the crowd

Some sweet marchers at the DC event:

Attendees at the Women’s March on Washington

March organizers Tamika D Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez take to the stage to talk about intersectional feminism, and note that while many white women have only become politically energized and angry because of this election, many women of color have been oppressed and fighting politically for years.

Mallory talks about how for many white women the election has made them feel like how black women have felt their whole lives.

“For some of you it is new, for others of us it is not so new at all,” she declares, before listing the names of black people who’ve been killed by police or while in police custody or because of racial violence - Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin.

“Put your pride aside, and stand up for the most marginalized people in this society. because if you stand for them, you stand for all,” says Mallory.

“Dr King said I will not remember the harsh words of my enemies, I will remember the silence of my friends,” declares Mallory.

People gather along Independence Ave for the Women’s March on Washington in Washington, DC.
People gather along Independence Ave for the Women’s March on Washington in Washington, DC. Photograph: Tracie Van Auken/EPA

Nothing like a little neighborly love, eh?

Allegra Fulton bussed in from Toronto with a band of women who call themselves “the Nasty Women of the North”.

They waved pink flags and wore matching kitten beanies.

“We don’t live here but America lives in us, you know?” Fulton said.

She didn’t have time for a long chat as they marched through the crowd getting mobbed by women expressing gratitude for the support of their neighbors.

“You’re all welcome,” one of the Canadian women said.

“I love Trudeau,” a woman squealed as they passed, referring to Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, an avowed feminist.

Actress Scarlett Johansson calls on people to not be dispirited by the election of Trump.

“Let this weight not drag you down, but help to get your heels stuck in,” she declares.

She speaks passionately about women’s health, declaring that politicians and pharmaceutical companies shouldn’t be involved in a women’s medical decision.

She calls on people to volunteer and donate to women’s health organizations.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry joins the march in DC.

Pope Francis reaches for a letter and t-shirt from Sophie Cruz, 5, of suburban Los Angeles, during a parade in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015.
Pope Francis reaches for a letter and t-shirt from Sophie Cruz, 5, of suburban Los Angeles, during a parade in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

Sophie Cruz, the 6-year-old who hit the headlines after giving a letter to the Pope calling for her parents not to be deported, takes to the stage with her family:

We are here together making a chain of love to protect our families. Let us fight with love, faith and courage so that our families will not be destroyed. I also want to tell the children not to be afraid, because we are not alone. There are still many people that have their hearts filled with love and tenderness to snuggle in this path of life. Let’s keep together and fight for the rights. God is with us.

She reread the speech in Spanish and then leads a chant of “si se puede”.

Updated

Tammy Duckworth: 'I didn't shed blood for the constitution to be trampled on'

Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) carries her daughter Abigail during the opening day of the 115th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) carries her daughter Abigail during the opening day of the 115th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

Senator from Illinois Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War army veteran who lost both her legs during her service, took to the stage

“I didn’t shed blood for this country, I didn’t give up literally parts of my body to have the constitution trampled on... We did not serve to protect the constitution to have them roll back our rights,” says Duckworth.

Duckworth notes how rolling back the American with Disabilities Act would dramatically affect the disabled community and that she wouldn’t be alive without it.

“I just sat through two weeks of senate hearings... of people who forget they have millions of dollars in the Cayman Islands... people who don’t know if there’s a safe amount of lead to be in your drinking supply,” she announces, bemoaning Trump’s cabinet picks.

Video: Michael Moore ‘call Congress every day’

Dr Chioma Ndubisi at the Women’s March on Washington
Dr Chioma Ndubisi at the Women’s March on Washington Photograph: Molly Redden

Dr Chiona Ndubisi works in a New York hospital and came down with
members of her hospital’s family planning department.

In the weeks since Trump’s election, many women have asked her what will happen to
their birth control coverage.

“It’s a lot of questions about what’s next,” said Ndubisi.

She held a sign saying “Pussy Power” decorated with packs of birth control. “I saw a sign that said, ‘Too many issues for one sign,’” she said. “That’s exactly how I feel. We’ll take it one step at a time. This is a moment to inspire others to act.”

Kamala Harris at the Women’s March on Washington
Kamala Harris at the Women’s March on Washington Photograph: TV screengrab

Female politicians are en masse on the stage at the DC march and California Senator Kamala Harris addresses the crowd.

“I believe we are at inflection point in the history of our country. I believe it is a moment in time that is a pivotal moment in the history of our country,” says Harris, comparing it to when her parents met at Berkeley as part of the civil rights movement in California in the 1960s.

Video: Ashley Judd's 'nasty woman' speech

Cecile Richards, head of Planned Parenthood, takes to the stage.

“My pledge today is our doors stay open”, she declares, to huge screams of support from the crowd.

Chicago women's march too big to march

Protesters cheer at the Women’s March on January 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois.
Protesters cheer at the Women’s March on January 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: John Gress/Getty Images

Over in Chicago, so many thousands of people have turned out to the local women’s march that the march aspect has been cancelled by police, according to local news reports. However, a rally will still go ahead.

Crowd organizers estimate 150,000 reporters, according to a Chicago Tribune reporter who tweeted the news:

Updated

Janet Mock
Janet Mock Photograph: TV screengrab

High profile trans writer and activist Janet Mock takes to the stage.

“I stand her today as the daughter of a native Hawaiian woman and a black veteran from Texas. I stand her as the first person in my family to go to college. I stand here ...to unapologetic proclaim I am a trans writer woman revolutionary activist of color,” declares Mock.

“Today by being here, it is my commitment to getting us free that keeps me marching. Our approach to freedom may not be identical, but it must be intersectional and inclusive. It must extend beyond ourselves. I know with surpassing certainty that my liberation is linked to the trans Latina yearning for refuge,” says Mock.

“Our movement is a difficult stpace between our reality and our vision,” she says, noting that people need to return ot heir homes and use their experience to organize and resist.

Updated

Um...

Maybe the images of thousands of women march in the streets around the world against Trump has got him distracted today, because that is not how you spell “honor”.

Andrea Prada at the march on Washington
Andrea Prada at the march on Washington Photograph: Lauren Gambino for the Guardian

Marcher Andrea Prada, 26, student in DC but is from Colombia:

When I came to this country I felt received by the university, by everybody here, by the people of Maryland, it’s a very diverse city. But suddenly when Trump came into the race, he started making racists comments and I noticed that people stopped being ashamed to be racist. I think you should be able to be proud of who you are and not have to be ashamed. I thought we were in a new millennium but with this guy, apparently not.

Guardian readers from around the world are continuing to answer our question: Why are you protesting the Trump administration?

They’re doing it with Hamilton references in Barcelona:

Hundreds of people of all ages march through central Barcelona, Spain to oppose Trump's presidency.

And shout-outs to Hillary Clinton in Bristol:

This is why I marched today in Bristol.

Love needs to win now. There is a lot of negativity pushed out into the world at the moment. Trump is the poster boy for hate, a narcissistic cheesepuff with a megaphone. But it's the people behind him, silently manifesting this negativity that I worry about. At times like this we need to show there is positivity. There is solidarity. Wherever we are from, whoever we are. I think love must be what we focus on now.

And support too. Support to show that whatever Trumps administration tries to do, the world is witnessing it all. And we won't be forced to be quiet. Even if his puppeteers take the whole of reality off the White House website. It doesn't matter. It's just noise. We'll be here, watching, speaking out. Marching. Across the world. Against whatever injustice they are trying to push thru.

Meanwhile, a snapshot from marchers en route to Washington, DC captures a classic sign:

I've talked to a handful of demonstrators. The young ones say "It's like the '60s" and are almost gleeful.

Older people seem more solemn. Like we've seen this before, the hate emanating from Trump, et al. And worse, those of us who are older feel up against the clock. We MUST make our country better for our children and grandchildren....we are up against the clock. Tomorrow is promised to no one.

Are you attending the Women’s March on Washington, or a satellite event elsewhere Share your photos and experiences at the event with us, via GuardianWitness.

Ashley Judd: ‘I feel Hitler in these streets’

Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd Photograph: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Actress Ashley Judd giving a pretty amazing beat poetry style speech about being a “nasty woman”.

“I am not as nasty as a swastika on a rainbow flag,” says Judd.

“I feel Hitler in these streets. A moustache traded for a toupee, Nazis renamed, the cabinet electro-conversion therapy the new gas chambers... turning rainbows in suicide notes, I am not as nasty as racism, white supremacy, misogyny, ignorance,” says Judd.

“I’m nasty as my grandmothers fought to get me into that voting booth,” says Judd.

“Why is the work of a black woman and a Hispanic woman worth 63 and 54 cents of a privileged white man’s daughter’s dollar?”

Judd talks about Viagra and anti-hair-thinning drugs being tax free while menstrual products are taxed.

“Is the bloodstain on my jeans more embarrassing than the thinning of your hair?” she asks.

“Our pussies ain’t for grabbing. They’re for reminding you that our walls are stronger than America’s ever will. They are for pleasure, they are for birthing new generations ... of nasty woman,” she declares.

Updated

Outside Washington, up to 2 million people have gathered in cities around the world as part of an international day of action in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington after Friday’s inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, writes Nadia Khomami:

Here’s a gallery of some of those marches:

Updated

The tense atmosphere in Washington surrounding Donald Trump’s inauguration, which saw the emergence of anarchists, tear gas and smashed windows, has given way on Saturday to a celebration of pink hats, rainbow flags and “nasty women”.

Tens of thousands were expected to mass on the National Mall for the Women’s March on Washington to send a message to the president-elect that their rights would not be compromised.

The crowds, bringing women and men from all across the country, packed into buses and trains en route to the spot where Trump was sworn in on Friday as the next US president. Many of them donned so-called “pussy hats”, pink knit hats with mini ears that served as a rebuke of the video leaked during the presidential campaign showing Trump boasting of sexually assaulting women.

They brandished signs with Hillary Clinton’s memorable statement as first lady that “women’s rights are equal rights” and labeling themselves “nasty women”, a reference to Trump’s jab on the debate stage against the first woman presidential nominee.

The tone stood in stark contrast to Friday, when widespread protests to Trump’s inauguration occasionally erupted into clashes with police. The security presence was notably lighter on Saturday, befitting the day’s mood. Parents hoisted young children on their shoulders, while others arrived with babies in tow dressed for the occasion.

Car horns sounded as drivers passing by the crowds expressed their approval. Strangers cheered at one another from across the street, waving signs related to women’s issues and more. There were pro-LGBT banners, posters declaring refugees “humans, not terrorists”, and vows that the people would rise alongside sea levels.

“Hopefully this day is going to be a launch for an ongoing coming together to stand up for our rights, not just as women but as humans,” said Gael Murphy, a co-founder of Code Pink, the left-leaning grassroots organization describing its mission as promoting peace and social justice.

“I personally don’t think that Trump is a legitimate president,” she added, citing Russian interference in the US election and structure of the electoral college.

“He has done nothing to prepare for the job,” Murphy said. “But we’re here and we’re not going anywhere. We will push back.”

Just in from Reuters, Washington subway reports 275,000 trips as of 11am today in comparison with 193,000 at the same time on inauguration day yesterday.

Updated

Michael Moore: 'call Congress every single day'

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore speaks with protesters at McPherson Square during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2017.
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore speaks with protesters at McPherson Square during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2017. Photograph: Jasper Colt /ddp USA/Barcroft

Filmmaker Michael Moore takes to the stage, says it looks like one million marchers are in DC today.

“OK, we got through day one!” he quips.

“We’re in day two now of the Turmp tragedy. Who wants to be in my next movie?” asks Moore.

Moore gets a copy of the Washington Post and reads the headline of ‘Trump takes power’.

“Here’s the power. Here’s the majority of America right here,” declares Moore.

“We are here to vow to end the Trump carnage,” he adds.

“I want you to call Congress every single day. Every single day,” says Moore. He gives the number to Congress: 202-225-3121 and gets the crowd to chant the number.

Meanwhile in Denver a large crowd seems to be gathering...

Updated

Kathleen Prugsawan, 52
Kathleen Prugsawan, 52 Photograph: Lauren Gambino for the Guardian

Marcher Kathleen Prugsawan, 52 from Washington DC:

I’m not happy to say the least that Trump’s new home is DC. But I’m here marching for everyone who couldn’t be here today. This is the most peaceful gathering of people unhappy with the current administration. The message that I hope he gets: you better fucking pay attention to us now.

Video: Gloria Steinem 'we are the people'

Over in Athens protestors have gathered outside the US embassy reports our correspondent Helena Smith:

Many of the women who have taken to the streets within view of the Acropolis says today’s demonstration is “only the start” of a much broader pressure campaign that will be brought to bear on the Trump administration.

“Today’s march is our first demonstration in support of a broad spectrum of human rights. And this is only the start. From here on, we’ll be examining the issues, not just the click-bait. We’ll be writing and calling our elected officials, making our views known, holding their feet to the fire,” said Karen Lee who heads Democrats Abroad which organised the protest rally.

“We expect better for our country, and we’re committed to halting the egregious policies the new administration seems set to ram through.”

“The current representation does not reflect the majority in our country,” added Sarajane Kidd also from Democrats Abroad. “

“For me, it is a question of letting Trump and our lawmakers know that ‘we are watching you!’”

A speaker from the Black Women’s Roundtable notes that they march for the 94% of black women voted for Hillary Clinton - and for the 53% of white women who voted for Donald Trump.

Pooja Panigrahi, 27
Pooja Panigrahi, 27 Photograph: Lauren Gambino for the Guardian

Marcher Pooja Panigrahi, 27, from Silver Springs, Maryland:

I am so inspired by everyone here. I want to be friends with everyone. We all came with pet causes, but one goal to advance equality. I really think if we band together we can bring about progress. It’s terrifying to think about what happens if we don’t.

Gloria Steinem addresses the women's march

Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem Photograph: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Equality Now

Feminist hero Gloria Steinem addresses the crowd, commenting on Trump’s inauguration speech yesterday.

“Everything that happened before him was a disaster and everything that he would do would be fantastic, the best ever, miracles and all the superlatives.

“He said he was for the people... I have met the people and you are not them,” said Steinem.

Just this march today required 1000 more buses than the entire inauguration, noted Steinem.

She said she’s been speaking with march organizers at solidarity marches from around the world, saying those in Berlin had a message for the crowd.

“We in Berlin know that walls don’t work,” she read.

Steinem noted that “we have people power we will use it.”

“This is the upside of the downside. This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy that I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age, it is deep in diversity and remember the constitution does not begin with ‘I the president’ it begins with ‘we the people’.”

“If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.”

“This is a day that will change us forever because we are together,” she said. “When we elect a possible president, we too often go home. We’ve elected an impossible president, we’re never going home. We’re staying together, we’re taking over,” said Steinem.

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Video: America Ferrera's full speech

Hillary Clinton isn’t at the Women’s March on Washington today (who can blame her after having to attend the inauguration ceremony AND a luncheon with Donald Trump yesterday), but she’s tweeted her support:

Clad in winter coats and standing in front of a paper banner that read “Gloria Allred – Women Seeking Justice Against Trump,” four women who have accused Donald Trump of inappropriate sexual contact announced that they would march together in Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington.

“I am here to seek justice, and am pleased with the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who march for women’s rights today,” said Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice who has accused Trump of groping her and making aggressive, unwanted sexual advances. She added that her presence was meant to inspire others to “stand up to bullies”.

The women present included Zervos, who claims Trump’s behavior occurred in 2007, when she met him at his hotel before the two had dinner; Temple Taggart McDowell, who was Miss Utah 1997 in Trump’s Miss USA pageant and accuses Trump of unwanted kissing and touching; and Jessica Drake, an adult film star who claims that Trump kissed and grabbed her without permission and propositioned her for $10,000 at a charity golf tournament.

Trump has repeatedly denied their accusations. On Tuesday, Zervos sued Trump for defamation, in response to his denial that their private meeting took place.

Taggart said she was marching in support of the other accusers and victims everywhere of sexual assault and harassment.

Attorney Allred, 75, huddled near the women as they spoke. She also beamed down from the banner, where she was pictured smiling and standing with her hands clasped behind her back.

From the women’s march in Manchester, UK:

Shirley Brown, 52, a midwife, has come along today with her 11-year-old daughter Lindy. She says that for her the protest is both about Trump’s election, but also about what he represents.

“I’m against austerity and how it effects normal every day people,” she says. “And Trump reflects what some people’s views are. People who have got power and wealth want to protect themselves.”
“Trump reflects a certain view that is for austerity, nationalism and protectionism and protecting the few rather than the many.”
Shirley’s daughter Lindy, says coming to protests “inspires them and motivates” children like her. She says she has become more interested in politics since Trump was elected.

A speaker from Moms Rising, an activist group of mothers, spoke about the issue of mothers earning less than other women and men.

Mothers earn 71 cents in every dollar compared to fathers.

She said mothers of color earn 46 cents in the dollar compared to fathers.

Women members of Congress unite

Jackie Speier wears a pink protest hats, symbols of the anti-Trump women’s march, as people gather prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Jackie Speier wears a pink protest hats, symbols of the anti-Trump women’s march, as people gather prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Steps away from the crowds, women members of Congress sought to galvanize the spirit of the day by holding events in which they advocated for ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment, expanding access to birth control and fighting Republican attempts to limit access to abortion.

California representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat, drew roughly 300 attendees to a breakfast at the US Capitol which brought together advocates such as Patricia Arquette, who memorably called for equal pay for women when accepting an Oscar for best supporting actress in 2015.

“Today we made clear to the Republicans in Congress and to the new President Donald Trump that women will not go back to being treated as chattel and second-class citizens,” Speier said.

“We will not stand by and allow the rights which we’ve spent a century working for to be rolled back.”

Elsewhere in DC, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and their respective families have just turned up to National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral. They’re attending a one hour prayer service.

Updated

Marcher Lauren Singerman, 37 from New York City:

I am just disgusted by the new administration and the threat it poses to so many people’s rights. I am scared for what happens next now is when the real work begins. It was scary to be in Washington DC yesterday. I’m from New York and I’m not used to being around so many Trump supporters so it felt foreign and surreal. But today it’s really exciting to see so many pink hats and so many people United for actual progress.

Lauren Singerman at the march on Washington
Lauren Singerman at the march on Washington Photograph: Lauren Gambino for the Guardian

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Actress America Ferrera
Actress America Ferrera Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Actress America Ferrera takes to the stage, speaking about being the child of immigrants and how “our dignity, our rights” have been under attack in this election and that the new president was elected on a platform of hate.

“But the president is not America. His cabinet is not America. Congress is not America. We are America. And we are here to stay,” said Ferrera.

“Mr Trump, we refuse. We reject the demonization of our Muslim brothers and sisters. We demand an end to the systemic murder and incarceration of our black brothers and sisters. We will not give up our right to a safe and legal abortion. We will not ask our LGBT families to go backwards. We will not go from being a nation of immigrants to a nation of ignorance,” said Ferrera.

“We are, every single one of us, under attack. Our safety and freedoms are on the chopping block... If we don’t stand together fight together for the next four years, we will lose together,” she said.

Considering the Trump organizers specifically said the march was not “anti-Trump”, these comments are very specifically anti the Trump presidency.

Updated

The march is kicking off with a very powerful song by an indigenous singer, who called on everyone’s ancestors to look after them today.

Now Charlie Brotman, who was the long-time announcer of the inauguration parade, begins an address.

An hour before the march began, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transport Authority issued a notice stating that many of the stations encompassing the District of Columbia and neighboring suburbs of Maryland and Virginia were overcrowded.

Parking lots at stations as far as an hour outside Washington were deemed at capacity, with crowds captured pouring outside the platforms and onto the streets as loaded trains passed them by.

It stood in stark contrast to Friday’s inauguration, when most stations were unusually empty for the swearing in of the next president of the United States.

Judy Tong posts this video of huge numbers of buses parked at RFK stadium, a mile and a half east of Capitol Hill:

Women’s March on Washington kicks off

Protesters carrying banners and placards take part in a Women’s March in Stockholm, Sweden.
Protesters carrying banners and placards take part in a Women’s March in Stockholm, Sweden. Photograph: Tt News Agency/Reuters

And the Women’s March on Washington has officially begun.

A live feed is available to watch on the Women’s March on Washington Facebook page.

Thousands of women (and a few men) are there, many wearing the pink hats.

The crowd chants “fired up” and “thank you Obama”.

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Cindy Yoe, 58, at the Women’s March on Washington
Cindy Yoe, 58, at the Women’s March on Washington Photograph: Lauren Gambino

Marcher Cindy Yoe, 58, from Prince Frederick, Maryland:

I cannot believe I have to be here after all these years. We’ve made so much progress and to go back like this is such a shame. I have never protested in my life. This is the first time and I absolutely thought it was necessary. I have children and grandchildren who will be affected by Trump and his policies. I’m marching for them Because I can’t imagine what it’d be like not to be able to afford healthcare for your baby.

Over at the London women’s march:

Sarah Fox,33 and Sarah Murphy, 34 were both marching with the London Irish Abortion Rights Campaign to raise awareness of the fight to abolish the 8th amendment in Ireland and make safe abortions legal.

“I think until women all come together like this under all of these different banners you can forget the breadth of oppression women are under,” said Murphy.

“I think many of the people here feel they are part of a new global women’s movement. They know it’s not going to be a quick fix and they are in it for the long haul.”

Packed DC metro on the way to the Women’s March on Washington
Packed DC metro on the way to the Women’s March on Washington Photograph: Lauren Gambino

Reporter Lauren Gambino is stuck on the DC metro with other marchers:

We’re stalled on the train because the conductor said we have to wait for the trains ahead of to unload. He’s advising that people who are attending the rally get off a stop early because the next two stops (Archives and L’enfant Plaza) are overcrowded.

DC Women's March

Thousands of women across the world have marched in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington, and in 30 minutes the main event officially begins. Here’s how it will go down:

  • The event kicks off at 10am ET with a rally on the corner of 3rd St and Independence Ave.
  • Speakers will include Cecile Richards from reproductive health organisation Planned Parenthood, activists Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem, actresses Ashley Judd and Scarlett Johansson, filmmaker Michael Moore and the “Mothers of the Movement”, a group of mothers whose children died because of violence by the police or gun violence.
  • Janelle Monáe, The Indigo Girls and Angelique Kidjo are among the musical acts scheduled to perform.
  • At 1.15pm the march will begin down Independence Ave to 14th St SW, then it will head to the Ellipse and the Washington Monument, where the event will finish at 4pm.
  • Marches in other US cities will also take place, with large marches expected in Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Are you at a march? Tell us why you’re marching - and send us pics from the event. You can also tweet to @ambiej.

The DC metro is packed as march attendees arrive:

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UK government is sticking by plan to force women to 'prove' rape for benefits

Meanwhile, the UK government has been criticised for sticking by its controversial plan to force women to “prove” rape for benefits.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published its response to a consultation on child tax credit exemptions on Friday, and women’s groups have condemned its contents.

Rachel Krys, co-director of the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition, said: “We are profoundly disappointed to see the publication of these new rules which make entitlement to child tax credit dependent on ‘proving’ rape.

“The obvious difficulty of requiring women to identify a child as a ‘product’ of rape, and then having a third party verify this claim, should have been enough to force a complete rethink of the whole policy proposal.

“It’s well known that women are reluctant to disclose rape to anyone, for many reasons including fear and self-protection, guilt, shame and concern for the impact of the knowledge on other family members. Requiring disclosure to officialdom in order to receive support for children is asking women to trust and depend on someone they may prefer not to.”

Women’s groups also said they were concerned that the government’s response rejected exempting women who still live with their perpetrator on the grounds that it “would allow the alleged perpetrator to financially benefit from the abuse.”

Krys said: “This whole policy betrays a lack of understanding about sexual and domestic abuse. Leading figures in this government have previously worked to try to improve justice outcomes for rape survivors, so it is extremely sad to see the insistence on this woman-judging measure by the DWP.”

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My colleague, Elena Cresci, says the atmosphere in London is “really jubilant” rather than angry. Someone bought some drums down, she says, and lots are wearing the pink pussy hats.

Meanwhile, another colleague Lisa O’Carroll, is pleased to see so many homemade signs.

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In Washington DC, where the US’s main march is taking place today, Lauren Gambino reports from the Georgia Avenue-Petworth train station:

There are women. Everywhere.

In a completely anecdotal and unscientific observation, the Georgia Avenue-Petworth station is much busier than it was yesterday.

On the train there are women and signage – a lot in the vein of “Pussy Fights Back” – and a group of women wearing knit pink hats with kitten ears.

There are a few men as well, and one grumpy woman who is clearly annoyed by the disruption to her morning commute.

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In the wake of Donald Trump’s win – a tremendous political and cultural loss for women – I’ll keep you up to date on the worst news, the best news, and everything in between to help you cope with the next four years. Sign up for a weekly email to hear my thoughts about the week in patriarchy. Check out the inaugural newsletter here.

The UK isn’t the only European country to show solidarity with women in the US. There have been protests across the continent, as our readers have been showing us.

Women, men, children, of all ages and nationalities ready to cross the Chaom Bridge to protest against sexism, racism and discrimination!

Amazing scenes on Musuemplein in Amsterdam. The organizers were originally expecting a few hundred people but today thousands turned up to celebrate diversity and condemn Trump-esque behaviour. Yesterday felt like a dark day to be alive; today felt like love really can trump hate. #whywemarch #womensmarchamsterdam

Protesters join in march through the streets of Florence, passing through the historic Galleria degli Uffizi museum with messages against hate, against misogyny, and against Trump's recent attacks on the arts in the United States.

Women of Erasmus University Rotterdam at the march in The Hague standing up for women's rights at home and at work.

Organisers are expecting around 600 people to attend a rally for women’s rights today in Manchester, the birthplace of the British women’s suffrage movement. The event begins in Manchester’s Albert Square at 1pm and will last until 3pm.

The rally will include a minute’s silence to remember “women lost and those at risk without the luxury of free speech”. Just around the corner is St Peter’s Square, where a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst is due to be unveiled on International Women’s Day 2019.

Jen Langton, 33, a singer and vocal coach, organised today’s rally in Manchester
Jen Langton. Photograph: Frances Perraudin for the Guardian

Jen Langton, 33, a singer and vocal coach, organised today’s rally in Manchester. She says she didn’t have the means to travel to a protest in another city, so she decided to organise one herself. “Sometimes when people are saying that somebody should do something, that person is you,” she says. “I thought that if I didn’t do something, nobody might.

“A lot of people have been asking why we are doing this, because we’re not the USA. First of all, there are a lot of American students in Manchester who don’t have anywhere to go. But it’s also about showing solidarity. English-speaking countries do tend to take their cues from each other and there has been a lot of talk about the similarities between the new presidency and the state of affairs in British politics.”

She says the rally is not partisan and Trump is a symptom of the trends they are protesting against, though she admits the billionaire’s inauguration has acted as a catalyst to get people out on to the streets.

“To think that a person who openly supports molesting women for fun now has an international platform on which to espouse that kind of hatred is horrific, and if you don’t speak up about it when it happens elsewhere it will start to happen to you, in your country. It’s not enough to say it’s not us, it’s not here, it’s not happening in my town.”

Louise Westcott, 39, has come to today’s women’s march in Manchester with her husband and two young children, 6 and 3.
Louise Westcott with friends and family. Photograph: Frances Perraudin for the Guardian

Louise Westcott, 39, has come to today’s women’s march in Manchester with her husband and two young children, aged six and three. “It’s important to show solidarity with what’s happening in the US. It’s a bit of a dark time at the moment.”

She says the rally is about more than just Trump. “It feels like there are a lot of bad things going on in this country as well.”

She wanted bring her children along today so they could start to understand the point of protest. “It’s quite difficult to explain to them what it’s about and I’m not sure they fully understand it yet,” she says. “But it’s the whole concept of having a voice and people coming together with a shared message.”

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More pussy hats proudly being worn by women (and men) on their way to the Washington DC march.

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My colleague Alexandra Topping has been speaking to protesters in London. She says huge numbers have turned out for the march, which is still in full force.

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This tweet helps explain why so many sister marches have popped up across the globe in response to the main one in Washington DC.

Tweet and tell me why you are marching @Nicola_Slawson or drop me an email: nicola.slawson@theguardian.com.

Back in London, there are quite a few celebrities among the throngs of people carrying placards, including rugby ace Chris Robshaw and Iron Man 3 actor Rebecca Hall.

Hall said she joined the march because she is half-American and half-English and if she had been on the other side of her pond she would have joined the Washington DC demonstration.

“It is important for me to march in solidarity,” she said. “Yesterday was a confusing day and a sad day, I was sad to see Obama leave … We do not know what the government is going to be like.”

She said Trump’s views, what he said and his politics were aimed at people she cared about – including “women, people of colour, immigrants and the LGBT community.”

She added: “If that is all true then it is important that we all stand up and be here, together, in solidarity.”

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In Washington DC, thousands of protesters – many in pink “pussy hats” – are gearing up to start their march.

Read the story behind the hats here:

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Hello. This is Nicola taking over from Nadia. Wherever you are in the world, please tweet me @Nicola_Slawson and tell me why you are marching or send me a photo of your placard. I would love to hear from you.

Here are some more quotes from marchers about why they’re out in force today.

Nazila Kivi, feminist magazine editor, Copenhagen:

I’m marching in solidarity with people gendered as women all around the world, especially indigenous, queer and migrant women, who are under a double burden of oppression. Women and our bodies very often become battle grounds for conservative and backwards ideas of nations, borders and racist ideologies. Solidarity and activism is all we have.

Ritah Mutheu Muia, 37, entrepreneur, Nairobi:

We march as the Her Voice society in Kenya because we stand in solidarity with our sisters from the US. We want to send a message that any act or policies that violate human rights or women’s rights will not be tolerated. In Kenya the fight against gender-based violence is far from over. As Kenyan women we have decided to break the silence.

I’m handing the live blog over to my colleague Nicola Slawson now. She will continue to track all the latest developments.

Updated

People have been sharing their images from marches around the world via GuardianWitness.

En route to Washington DC:

Bus #4 leaving Elmira to DC

In Melbourne:

And in Mexico:

Tell us why you’re protesting by clicking on the blue ‘Contribute’ button at the top of this live blog.

The marches taking place in the UK and across the US and wider world are in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people expected to descend on Washington DC later today. Although organisers have said the march isn’t specifically anti-Donald Trump, it was timed to take place the day after he was inaugurated as president.

Trump’s attitudes toward women dominated the campaign, particularly after a video revealed him saying he could “do anything” to women, including “grab them by the pussy”. At least 24 women came forward with allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior by Trump spanning more than 30 years. Trump has denied the allegations.

A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found the businessman and reality TV star had the lowest favourability rating of any incoming president since the 1970s.

Women in the US gave a host of reasons for marching, ranging from inspiring other women to run for office to protesting Trump’s plans to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which among other things requires health insurers to cover birth control.

Speakers in Washington will include Cecile Richards from reproductive health organisation Planned Parenthood, activists Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem, actresses Ashley Judd and Scarlett Johansson, filmmaker Michael Moore and the “Mothers of the Movement”, a group of mothers whose children died because of violence by the police or gun violence. Janelle Monáe, The Indigo Girls and Angelique Kidjo are among the musical acts scheduled to perform.

Protests have been taking place across the US over the past day.

In San Francisco, thousands formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted “Love Trumps hate.” In the city’s financial district, a few hundred protesters blocked traffic outside an office building partly owned by Trump.

In Atlanta, protests converged at City Hall and a few hundred people chanted and waved signs protesting Trump, denouncing racism and police brutality and expressing support for immigrants, Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.

In Nashville, half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol. Hundreds also sat in a 10-minute silent protest at a park while Trump took the oath of office. Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud.

In the Pacific Northwest, demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, burned US flags and students at Portland State University walked out of classes. About 200 protesters gathered on the Capitol steps in Olympia, Washington, carrying signs that included the messages “Resist Trump” and “Not My Problem.”

Yvette Cooper to give speech urging people to 'not let the clocks be turned back'

Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP and chair of the home affairs select committee, will be speaking in Trafalgar Square, London, at around 2pm. Below is a copy of her speech:

Today across the globe women and men are marching against hatred. Marching against division. Marching for equality. Marching because we will not be silenced and we will not go away.

We are marching because the most powerful man in the country thinks it’s ok to grab women “by the pussy”.

We are marching because a talented woman MP was murdered by a far right extremist and we need to call it out as the terrorism it is.

We are marching because we believe what Jo Cox said that we have more in common than what divides us and because we won’t stay on the sidelines any more.

And we are not just marching, we’re singing, we are shouting, we’re tweeting, snapchatting, facebooking - standing up to the misogynists, the bullies and the haters who try to intimidate and silence people online just as for years they tried to intimidate or silence women on the street, in the pub, in the workplace.

Thirty years ago, many of us marched to reclaim the night. Women in Leeds were being told not to go out after dark, because it wasn’t safe, there were too many attacks.

Instead they came together - in Leeds, London and across the country to reclaim the night, to take back the streets. Our new streets are online. Social media are our new pubs and clubs. So just as we stood together to reclaim the night we will stand together to reclaim the Internet too.

But here’s the tough thing.

We are here because we want to take a stand against Donald Trump. Millions of American women and men voted for him. Marching isn’t enough - we need to persuade, to win arguments, to challenge the deep causes of division and to build a future in common.

We stand on the shoulders of our mothers and grandmothers - women who have gone before us and won great victories to get us equal pay, abortion rights, rape laws, child care paternity as well as maternity leave.

But we won’t be judged on our victories but on how we deal with the setbacks. How we come together and rebuild when it feels like the clock is being turned back.

For the sake of our children and grandchildren - our daughters and our sons - we are here because we will not let the clock be turned back now.

Updated

In Bristol, more than 1,000 people marched from Queen Square to College Green – just 72 hours after the event was organised.

Updated

London mayor Sadiq Khan joins march to 'support fight for gender equality'

The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, is scheduled to join the march. Khan said he was proud to march alongside women and men from London and around the world “to show how much we value the rights every woman should have”. He added:

As a feminist in City Hall I fully support the fight for gender equality. It’s wrong that in 2017 someone’s life chances and fundamental rights are still dependent on their gender.

In recent decades we’ve made good progress, but there is still so much more for us to do and we must redouble our efforts to make sure that as we strive for equality we do not lose all that we have achieved.

As I march today I am more determined than ever to do everything I can to ensure that all girls growing up in London have the same opportunities in life as men.

Updated

This is the full quote from Trump that has alarmed people the most about his attitude towards women. It’s been circulated widely on social media over the past couple of days.

Updated

Placards. So may placards! “Pizza rolls not gender roles” from Italy is a personal favourite.

More marchers explain why they’re pounding the streets today.

Aisha Ali-Khan, 36, part-time teacher and carer, Shipley:

I wanted to show solidarity with the rest of the women all over the world. Women are not being heard by those in power anywhere in the world – if they were we wouldn’t be marching today. I’m a Muslim, of Pakistani heritage – this is not just a white women’s march, it’s all women, all over the world. It’s a really inclusive movement and it’s amazing to be a part of that.

Shoomi Chowdhury, Amnesty International, London

We have so much left to do with regards to rights for ethnic minorities, particularly women from ethnic minorities, and not only is the potential for progress going to be lost, we’ve taken a massive step back. In 20 years, I want to be able to tell my children: ‘I went out and marched the day after Donald Trump became president.’

Updated

Tube stations in central London, including Oxford Circus and Green Park, are packed with people heading to the march. See more photos below.

The Guardian’s Tim Lusher has photos of protesters in London. They’ve come from far and wide, including Liverpool and even Minnesota.

Updated

If you’re attending a march we’d like to hear from you. You can fill in this form, telling us why taking part is important to you. We’d also like you to share a photograph, or selfie, of you at the protest. You can also email your answers to the questions below along with your photograph to: carmen.fishwick@theguardian.com. You can upload your images and stories through GuardianWitness by clicking the “Contribute” button at the top of this blog. But please also tell us why you’re protesting and why taking part is important to you.

Updated

Thousands of people are gathered outside the US embassy in London, hundreds of them wearing the pink pussy hats that have becoming a unifying symbol of this march.

A huge variety of groups have gathered: those campaigning for migrant rights and women’s rights, as well as LGBTQ+ groups and anti-war protesters. But there are also many women – and a significant number of men – who have never been on a march before.

Lizzy Billington, 62, had come from Cornwall to march with her daughter Alice, 22, and her 18-month-old grandson Isaac. “I haven’t been on a march since the 60s and I didn’t think I’d ever go on one again but I didn’t want to miss this,” she said. “In the 60s feminism wasn’t a dirty word and I feel this new movement is more like that. I find it very exciting.”

The Women’s Equality party leader, Sophie Walker, said the march was “a powerful antidote to the message of fear and division we heard yesterday.” She added: “It is incredible to see such an huge commitment from all these people to do politics differently.”

Frances Scott, of the 50:50 campaign which wants a more equal parliament in the UK, urged people to sign a petition run by the group. “I’m excited but I’m angry,” she said. “Trump was elected democratically, which shows that we really have to change the system. If we really believe in equality, that has to happen.”

Updated

The Women’s March in London has begun, with more than 25,000 people expected to gather outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square and march to Trafalgar Square.

It takes place less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Women and men from around the world have said they hope to send a unity message to Trump after a campaign in which he said Mexican immigrants were “rapists”, discussed banning Muslims from entering the US, and was revealed to have once bragged about grabbing women by the genitals and kissing them without permission.

The chants are vast and varied. This one, written by Fiona Apple, may be one of them …

Updated

More marchers explain why they have taken to the streets today:

Rachel Druck, 31, rabbinical student, Tel Aviv:

I am studying to be a rabbi and one of the major values of Judaism is accepting the other, making a place for the stranger and remembering once a year that once we were slaves in Egypt. Those values are propelling me. I’m marching because Trump ran a campaign of Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, and racism: to stand up and say he does not speak for me.

Natalino Soares Ornai Guterres, 27, consultant, Dili, East Timor:

I have been displaced from my home and have travelled to other countries (including the US) in search of better opportunities. Being a member of the LGBT community, I am involved because I understand the struggle that our mothers, sisters and people with non-binary gender identities have to go through in a patriarchal society.

Updated

Many Guardian staff members or their children are out on the march today. They have been posting pictures and updates on Twitter.

Updated

Protesters in Bristol, England, are out chanting in the sunshine.

Bristol, England January 21, 2017.

Updated

Placards are placed against a hedge ahead of the Women’s March in London
Placards are placed against a hedge ahead of the Women’s March in London Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
People gather in front of the US embassy in Berlin
People gather in front of the US embassy in Berlin Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Updated

In Washington, the former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman has said she will take part in the march with her two daughters, her sister and her niece.

She told the Press Association: “I feel that the election was somewhat of a feminist issue. I feel like the best of us was bested by not the best of them.”

Updated

My colleague Alexandra Topping is at the London march, speaking to people about why they’ve decided to attend today and how they feel.

Women are already arriving in droves for the Women’s March on London.

The march will begin at Grosvenor Square at 12 noon with speeches presented by the actor Rebecca Hall. Organisers say they aim to allow different voices to be heard. Speakers in Grosvenor Square will include the British playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz and the Labour MP Stella Creasy.

The march will then begin at 12.30pm and will finish at Trafalgar Square at 2pm with a rally hosted by Sandi Toksvig, involving speeches from celebrities and leaders of supporting organisations. These include Women’s Aid, the Unite union, Black Pride and Amnesty International UK.

The rally will end at 3.30pm.

Updated

Hundreds of women, men and children came together in Rome to make their voices heard on several issues, from a feared crackdown on free speech in the US to populism and the marginalisation of ethnic groups.

Updated

Marchers from around the world have spoken to the Guardian about why they are protesting today. I’ll post a few of these throughout the day.

Maria Kostaki, 43, author, Athens:

While not a citizen of the US, I am organising this march in Athens because I believe the issues it represents are global. It’s about humanity. It’s about women’s rights, racism, equality, LGBT rights. I have a four-year-old son and I do not want him to grow up in a world where everything we have fought for is taken away. We can’t allow anyone to reverse what we have built.

Lotje Horvers, 34, tour manager, Amsterdam

I want to be part of the message to the world that there are more people who love than people who hate, and I will not stand by silently while a lying bully is given one of the most responsible positions in the world. I cannot be at peace with the fact he uses his voice to set an example that it is acceptable to be demeaning to women and minorities.

Updated

Of course, not everyone supports today’s movement, for varying reasons.

And here are some of the pictures you’re posting on social media.

Pictures are flooding in of preparations and marches. Here are a few from Thailand and Australia.

A woman holding her child and a protest sign in Bangkok, Thailand
A woman holding her child and a protest sign in Bangkok, Thailand. Photograph: Diego Azubel/EPA
Sky-writing in Sydney
Sky-writing in Sydney Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Protesters in Sydney
Protesters in Sydney Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
A protester’s sign in Sydney
A protester’s sign in Sydney Photograph: Andrew Murray/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Hundreds of people joined protests in Tokyo, including many American expatriates. “Trump presidency gets my blood boiling … Everything we value could be gone. It’s time to speak your mind and concerns and to do our best to salvage the values we cherish in America,” said Bill Scholer, an art teacher.

In Manila on Friday, about 200 demonstrators from a Philippine nationalist group rallied for about an hour against Trump outside the US embassy. Some held up signs demanding US troops leave the Philippines, and others set fire to a paper US flag bearing a picture of Trump’s face.

Updated

Protesters in Australia and New Zealand were the first to start marching today. In Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, about 3,000 people gathered for a rally in Hyde Park before marching on the US consulate downtown. A further 5,000 people rallied in Melbourne. In New Zealand there were marches in four cities, involving around 2,000 people.

“Feminism is my Trump card” and “Fight like a girl,” were among the placards seen in Sydney. Organiser Mindy Freiband told Reuters:

We’re not marching as an anti-Trump movement per se, we’re marching to protest the hate speech, the hateful rhetoric, the misogyny, the bigotry, the xenophobia and we want to present a united voice with women around the globe.

Many of the protesters in Sydney and Melbourne wore pink hats, which activists referred to as their “pussyhats”. Many said they were worried that Trump’s politics and his attitude towards women and minorities could spread. “As a mature 56-year-old lesbian, I feel for the first time what is global is local,” said Vicki Skehan. “We’ve come so far with inclusiveness and I don’t want to see that go away.”

Updated

Yesterday in Washington more than 200 protesters were arrested as police used pepper spray and stun grenades to suppress a series of small, violent confrontations before and after Trump was sworn in as president. Thousands of protesters from numerous groups descended on DC for mostly peaceful demonstrations throughout the day, but shortly after Trump was sworn in, violent protests broke out in the downtown area close to the north lawn of the White House and blocks from the path of the inaugural parade.

A few dozen protesters clad in black threw projectiles at police and barricaded the road with newspaper kiosks and bins, which they later set fire to. The group were quickly surrounded by police in riot gear who used sting-ball grenades and pepper spray, police said, after a black limousine was set on fire.

Before the swearing-in ceremony, activists from the anarchist group known as the black bloc smashed storefront windows and cars as they clashed with police.

Updated

The Women’s March on Washington is expected to be the largest inauguration-related demonstration in US history. A previous demonstration was the Women’s Suffrage Parade of 1913, in which, one day before President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 suffragists marched on Pennsylvania Avenue. The parade is considered to be a major milestone for the movement to win women the right to vote, not least because it drew attention to the movement as the thousands of people who were in Washington for the inauguration witnessed the procession. The 1913 march is set to be depicted on the back of the redesigned $10 bill in 2020.

Another inauguration that drew strong reaction from the world was that of Richard Nixon in 1968, as the United States fought an unpopular war in Vietnam.

Updated

Organisers Women’s March Global, the international arm of the Washington march, have said Donald Trump’s election has ignited a powder keg under the global women’s rights movement that will have far-reaching ramifications.

As many as 500,000 people are expected to descend on DC, joined by as many as 1.5 million more marching in support in 161 cities across all seven continents.

The organisers are determined to capitalise on the wave of activism that has attracted hundreds of thousands of first-time campaigners as well as seasoned activists.

“The women of the world were sitting on a powder keg and Donald Trump just lit the match,” Evvie Harmon, a Women’s March co-founder and global coordinator, told the Guardian.

Set up after Trump’s election victory, the global movement is being hailed as an unprecedented grassroots movement, and organisers say it will have an immediate and concrete impact.

Many international coordinators say they are marching in solidarity with US women, but that human rights and not Donald Trump are the focus. Cells set up throughout the US and hundreds of other places are plotting local campaigns, from preventing the construction of oil pipelines to outlawing female genital mutilation.

They will adhere to the “guiding vision” of the Women’s March on issues such as the rights of immigrant, disabled and LGBTQIA women and female workers. Individual groups will decide which targeted actions to take.

Marches are due to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Erbil, Iraq where an organiser from Alliance for Peace and Human Rights (APHRO) said holding the march was a challenge because of tribalism, corruption and the difficulty of getting approval from the government “who deny that women have challenges in this Iraqi society,” such as lack of salaries, terror, hate, exploitation and trafficking.

Harmon added:

I don’t know any grassroots organisation that has grown to this size in only two months. There are now about 1,000 coordinators around the world. It’s too big and it’s growing too fast to control. And we wouldn’t want to. We just want to support and help it to flourish.

Updated

In the UK at least 14 marches, demonstrations and gatherings are planned. In London, tens of thousands of people are planning to turn out in solidarity, and sister demonstrations are also being held in Bangor, Barnstaple, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Shipley, Southampton, St Austell and York.

The London march starts at midday at the US embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, W1A 2LQ. Marchers plan to assemble in front of the embassy before making their way to Trafalgar Square for a 90-minute rally from 2pm. People who would rather take a shorter route can join the march where Pall Mall meets Waterloo Place.

Everything you need to know about the UK marches can be found in our report below.

Updated

The Women’s March on Washington starts at 10am EST, near the south-east corner of the National Mall. But before and after then, many women’s marches are taking place across the US and around the world.

There are marches planned in every state in the US, as well as many countries in Europe, Central and South America, Africa, Asia and various cities across Canada and Australia. Those marching outside the US are doing so in solidarity with American women and standing up for the rights of women in their own countries.

A map on the Women’s March website allows you to search for the sister march closest to you.

Women’s March locations
Women’s March locations Photograph: Women's March

Here is a list of all the countries in which marches are taking place. Some of them will see numerous marches across different cities.

Antarctic Peninsula
Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Austria
The Bahamas
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Caribbean Netherlands
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Congo
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guatemala
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Kosovo
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Lithuania
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mexico
Myanmar
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Norway
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania
Thailand
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Updated

Hundreds of thousands of women are expected to take to the streets of Washington DC on Saturday for the Women’s March on Washington, in what may be one of the largest marches in recent US history.

Although the organisers say the march isn’t specifically anti-Donald Trump, it was timed to take place the day after the businessman and former reality TV star was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, to the dismay of many who had been appalled by his record on the election trail.

Trump’s attitudes toward women dominated the campaign, particularly after a video revealed him saying he could “do anything” to women, including “grab them by the pussy”. At least 24 women came forward with allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior by Trump spanning more than 30 years. Trump has denied the allegations.

Today women – and men – are taking to the streets to “send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights”, according to the march’s official mission.

  • The event kicks off at 10am ET with a rally on the corner of 3rd St and Independence Ave.
  • Speakers will include Cecile Richards from reproductive health organisation Planned Parenthood, activists Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem, actresses Ashley Judd and Scarlett Johansson, filmmaker Michael Moore and the “Mothers of the Movement”, a group of mothers whose children died because of violence by the police or gun violence.
  • Janelle Monáe, The Indigo Girls and Angelique Kidjo are among the musical acts scheduled to perform.
  • At 1.15pm the march will begin down Independence Ave to 14th St SW, then it will head to the Ellipse and the Washington Monument, where the event will finish at 4pm.

Other celebrity guests include singers Cher, Katy Perry and Zendaya, model Chrissy Teigen, comedians Amy Schumer and Cristela Alonzo, TV host Padma Lakshmi, artist Kara Walker, and actresses Hari Nef, Amandla Stenberg, Frances McDormand, Uzo Aduba, America Ferrera and Julianne Moore.

Women from all over the country are pouring into DC, with trains, planes and buses full of marchers arriving on Friday and early Saturday morning.

For those attending, Nicole Puglise put together a guide to what you can and can’t bring to the march (yes to posters, no to colored backpacks).

More than 280 independently organized marches will also be held in solidarity in all 50 states. A regularly updated map on the march website allows people to search by zipcode for their nearest event.

More than 20 countries will also host solidarity marches, with nations including Australia, Canada, Portugal and Mexico and the UK holding events.

Guardian reporters including Molly Redden, Lauren Gambino, Sabrina Siddiqui and Laurence Mathieu-Léger will at the DC march to provide live updates.

We’ll provide interviews, news and photos from the march all day. Stay tuned.

Updated

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