Thousands hold anti-Trump rally in Washington before inauguration

Thousands of mostly female demonstrators took to the streets of Washington DC on Saturday to rally against President-elect Donald Trump two days ahead of his inauguration.

The People’s March – previously known as the Women’s March – has taken place every year since 2017.

A coalition of groups organised the movement with the stated aim of confronting “Trumpism”, according to its website. Smaller protests against Trump were held in New York City and on the other side of the country in Seattle.

The rallies coincide with Trump’s arrival to the nation’s capital for a series of weekend events in the lead-up to his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Saturday’s People’s March in Washington DC drew smaller numbers than its predecessors.

Organisers had expected 50,000 people. About 5,000 turned up.

The protesters gathered at three parks before marching to the Lincoln Memorial for the rally.

The groups behind the march are described on its website as holding “intersecting identities” and having “varied issue-based interests” with different causes such as climate change, immigration and women’s rights.

Organisers said they aimed to confront Trump by “drawing on past successes and effective strategies against autocrats”.

A small group of Trump supporters were at the Washington Monument on Saturday. Noticing the men in red Make America Great Again hats, one People’s March leader with a megaphone approached chanting: “No Trump, no KKK.”

One of the men, Timothy Wallis, told the Associated Press news agency his friends had just bought the Trump hats from a street vendor.

Mr Wallis, 58, of Pocatello, Idaho, said the People’s March protesters had “every right” to demonstrate, though he said he was confused by the rancour.

“It’s sad where we’re at as a country,” he said.

The first iteration of the People’s March came together 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 nation’s capital with millions of women across the US carrying signs railing against the Republican president and sporting pink knit “pussy hats” – a reference to a leaked tape in which Trump had bragged about grabbing women’s genitals.

The Women’s March remained a key part of the so-called resistance to Trump’s agenda in the years that followed.

But none of the subsequent marches have been on the same scale.

Trump, meanwhile, arrived in Washington DC later on Saturday to begin his inaugural festivities with a private event featuring fireworks at his golf club in the Virginia suburbs.

Women who gathered in Washington to join the People’s March told the BBC they had a variety of motivations.

One protester, Brooke, said she wanted to show her support for abortion access.

“I’m really not happy with the way our country’s voted,” she said. “I’m really sad that our country’s leaned towards a president that’s already failed us once and that we did not nominate a female candidate.”

Another woman, Kayla, said it’s a mix of emotions that brought her out to the streets of the nation’s capital.

“Honestly, I’m just mad, I’m sad, I’m overwhelmed,” she said.

Susie came in from the San Francisco area to demonstrate with her sister, Anne, who lives nearby. They both attended the Women’s March after Trump’s first inauguration and came back in their “pussy hats”.

Susie recalled the crowds of people in 2017. She said she hoped people would still take to the streets against Trump’s policies.

“This time the stakes are higher,” she said. “Trump has been emboldened. He’s got the billionaire class and the tech class bowing down.”

Anne also said she recognised the protesters are “out of touch” with a lot of America. Trump won all seven swing states and the popular vote last November.

But she added: “We’re still here, and we will resist.”

Holly Honderich and Alex Lederman contributed to this reporting