Massive Crowds For Women's Marches Around The World

BuzzFeed News reported from the marches in Washington and elsewhere.

What We Know:

*An estimated hundreds of thousands of people turned out at the Women's March on Washington, DC, and at related marches around the nation and the world — a massive display of protest against President Trump and his comments that have at times disparaged women. * The crowd in DC was much bigger than the 500,000 expected, DC Homeland Security Director Christopher Geldart told the AP. That means it was one of the largest demonstrations in DC history. * You can watch a replay of our Live Show of the rally and march at BuzzFeed News' Facebook page. * There are a lot more people at the march in Washington, DC, than Trump's inauguration. * Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, said, "My pledge to you today is that we stay open." * "We believe that sexism, racism, homophobia, and bigotry have no place in this country. Black lives matter. Diversity make our country stronger. We believe that equal means equal," Sen. Elizabeth Warren said at a rally in Boston. * Reporting by Ema O'Connor, Mary Ann Georgantopoulos, Ellie Hall, Zoe Tillman, John Stanton, Lissandra Villa Huerta, Nidhi Subbaraman, Bim Adewunmi, Katie Baker, Anne Helen Petersen, Charlie Warzel, Jessica Testa, Blake Montgomery, Jessica Naudziunas, Brittany Berkowitz, and CC Allen in Washington, DC; Sheera Frenkel and Ellen Cushing in Oakland; Brandon Wall, Claudia Koerner and Brianna Sachs in Los Angeles; Tyler Kingkade in Austin, Texas; and Azeen Ghorayshi, Remy Smidt, and Mary Jacob in New York City.

Updates

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President Donald Trump: "why didn't these people vote?"

In a tweet, President Trump dismissed the marches and said the presence of big name celebs like Madonna, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and many others "hurt [the] cause badly."

Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.

— Alicia Melville-Smith

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The Women's March on Washington was one of the largest protests in the city's history, the Associated Press reported.

However, DC's homeland security director, Christopher Geldart, said not a single arrest was made at the massive demonstration that drew more than 500,000 people.

Ariane Lange

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About 100 protesters gathered near Trump Tower barricades in New York

small group of ~100 protesters left, chanting "Not in my America" #womensmarchnyc

Hours after thousands of protesters marched through New York, about a hundred demonstrators remained about two blocks away from Trump Tower.

The group was kept away from President Donald Trump's home along Fifth Avenue Friday night by barricades and police officers.

Only people who were on their way to Trump Tower, Gucci, or the Armani store were allowed to walk on the street near Trump Tower, all others were forced across the street.

Across the street from Trump Tower, you can only cross if you're going the Gucci or Armani stores

Some of the demonstrators told BuzzFeed News reporters they were marching late into the night because work kept them from participating in the earlier march.

About 60 police officers remained in the area, and told BuzzFeed News they would disperse the crowd soon if they did not disperse on their own.

— Salvador Hernandez

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Thousands marched in the rain in San Francisco

Tens of thousands marching in the rain for #womensmarchSF

Marchers in San Francisco wore pink hats and gathered at the Civic Center, where they began to march in the rain.

The march was held on the same day as an anti-abortion march that was scheduled in the city, but the San Francisco Chronicle reported that adjusted the timing of their events so as to not overlap.

Some protesters climbed up on trees to get a better look at the demonstration because of the large crowd, the Chronicle reported.

Salvador Hernandez

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The White House Fence Is Getting Covered With Women's March Signs

After the Women's March on Washington, DC on Saturday, many women hung their handmade protest signs on a fence in front of the White House.

You can see all the photos here.

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24 Things Latinos Had To Say At The Women's March In LA

Huge crowds turned out for the Women's March in Los Angeles, home to one of the country's largest Latino communities.

BuzzFeed was on the ground in Downtown LA to find out how Latinos protested. Here's what they had to say:

“Sin comunidad no hay liberación.” / “Without community there is no liberation.”

You can see more from the LA protesters, in their own words, here.

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28 of the most powerful photos from women's marches around the world

"A woman is somebody not some body."

To read and see more, go here.

— Ariane Lange

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Women's march signs line a fence on Capitol Hill

A memorial of sorts sprang up on the the Capitol Mall, with people leaving the march wedging their signs into the fence of the National Gallery of Art and Sculpture.

It's drawing a crowd: Marchers passing by are stopping to take photos and selfies and adding their own placards.

Two marchers who paused by the fence, Judi Lanza and Roberta Goldman, have supported Hilary Clinton's career since her days as First Lady, through her various campaigns, to the Democratic National Convention, to the rope line at the Javitz Center in New York on election night in November.

And finally, they came to the Women's March in Washington DC.

"Coming down here, I think was a boost for me," Goldman said.

The two took a break in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum after a few hours. "After a while your legs turn to Jello," Lanza said. And at about 5 pm ET, the pair were tracking their own path to the White House, even after the march had moved on.

"I wanted to make sure that Washington had a good showing," Goldman said.

Neither of them are over Clinton's defeat yet.

"That really still hurts. But it wasn't meant to be," Lanza said.

"She was a crackerjack, I just knew she had the potential," said Goldman. "It was very tough to get over her because she was so talented."

— Nidhi Subbaraman

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Walking takes over in LA for women's march

Women and men pressed shoulder to shoulder across four lanes of traffic in downtown Los Angeles, covering the women's march route so completely here that it was delayed almost an hour.

"It's just like the 405," one woman quipped as the crowd began to move, as slowly as traffic on the freeway.

LAPD officials estimated the crowd size at 500,000 people, according to the Los Angeles Times, although organizers said it was even larger.

"I felt like crying," said marcher Daniela Dean, 29. "It was so amazing."

The march was about women from everywhere joining in speaking up, she said. In liberal LA, she added, being visible and loud was even more of a responsibility.

"California is definitely a leader in progressive anything," she said. "It's important for Californians to be more out there."

Her friend, 28-year-old Lauren Bechelli, said seeing so many people move together was an inspiring experience.

"We have to support each other right now," she said. "It's a moment where everything's maybe about to go wrong."

Juan Perez and Maria Camarena brought her daughters Ellie, 12, and Isabella, 4. They carried signs proclaiming girl power.

"I think it's important to bring out the next generation, because it's going to affect them the most," Perez said. "If we don't do anything to stop it, it's going to affect us all."

For Ellie, Trump's comments on women and Mexicans — people like her — felt like a personal attack. She had a simple message for the president.

"Why?" she said. "Why are you doing this?"

In the days ahead, Camarena said she wanted her daughters to think about how they treat others.

"We're here because we believe in kindness," she said. "We should just start in our home and continue to expand that kindness all around."

Like many at the march, Rose Thelemann had never been to a political protest. But the 80-year-old, originally from Ireland and a US citizen of 57 years, on Saturday joined a group of women from neighboring Ventura County to drive down to LA and protest.

"[We're here] to show we're disgusted about Trump," she said. "I hate to even say his name. We have to do something to show we disagree." — Claudia Koerner

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About 60,000 attend Women's March in Toronto in solidarity with demonstration in Washington

About 60,000 people marched in Toronto in solidarity with Women's March demonstrations occurring throughout the US Saturday.

Organizers for the group also took the chance to promote a $15 minimum wage in the city and advocate for Indigenous issues.

It was one of multiple protests occurring around the globe just a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the US.

Read more here.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Issues like Planned Parenthood and Obamacare were on the minds of marchers in Austin, Texas

Mother & daughter, ages 85 & 61: mom's first march was in 1958 in a demonstration for the right for black ppl to vo… https://t.co/ga19IWyLlC

An estimated 40,000 people participated in Women's March on Austin, according to the city police, which gathered at the Texas State Capitol.

One of the speakers was Amina Amdeen. A Muslim woman and Iraqi immigrant, she told the crowd that it's easy to hate, but harder to respond with love to people of opposing ideologies. Amdeen urged marchers to engage in dialog with Trump supporters, rather than casting them all as the problem.

"Anything that divides us is highly arbitrary that makes us easier to control," Amdeen said on stage. "This movement is not defined by one demographic anymore, they can't control us anymore. Yes, we are angry and we are passionate, but make sure you are never afraid."

Efforts to defund or close Planned Parenthood were an obvious source of motivation for a large share of the protesters, making former state senator Wendy Davis a major celebrity in attendance. The crowd roared when Davis took the stage in a pink pussy hat, and thanked them for their efforts to support her in fighting against legislation to restrict access to abortion in Texas.

"We are not a special interest group, we are not a subgroup, we are the majority of this country," Davis said.

Mostly homemade signs among the crowd frequently dinged Donald Trump for comments he made about grabbing women; "This pussy grabs back," for example. They also frequently celebrated being "Nasty women."

There were frequent variations of signs reading, "Girls Just Want To Have FUNdamental rights" and "Our Rights Are Not Up For Grabs." Many people held signs that read "I'm With Her," but with arrows pointing in all directions, and signs that said "Come And Take It" above the outline of a woman's reproductive system.

Marchers filled the lobbies of downtown hotels before and after the event, where many of the out-of-towners were staying. A healthy portion of marchers brought their children or dogs to the event. A group of young girls chanted on their own "Immigrants are welcome here!"

The age group was highly diverse, and included plenty of senior citizens.

Dusty Monroe, age 65, pushed her 85-year-old mother Joyce in a wheelchair in the march. Dusty told BuzzFeed News that they both came out because they believe Trump has "the potential to take us way back" on a host of rights.

"I march for what I believe is right," said Joyce, who protested for the first time in her life in 1958, demonstrating for the right for black people to vote.

A woman in a wheelchair named Melonie, who declined to give her last name for fear of online harassment, held a sign thanking President Obama for the Affordable Care Act. Melonie, a 61-year-old owner and operator of a bed and breakfast, told BuzzFeed News she didn't have health insurance until the exchanges were set up as part of Obamacare. However, the doctors in her hometown of Fredericksburg, Texas, would not take her insurance because they refused as Republicans to participate in Obamacare, Melonie said.

"They just say they won't take it, they don't have to," she said. If Obamacare is repealed, Melonie told BuzzFeed News her plan B is "Just don't get sick for another four years and get on Medicare."

And a group of college administrators, who were in Austin for a student affairs conference focused on how to deal with sexual assault on campus, were at the march. Throughout the three-day conference, organized by the professional association group NASPA, administrators had discussed their anxiety over possible changes under a Trump administration to how schools address sexual assault and harassment among students.

Some had mentioned in conversation that if the federal government isn't as aggressive at pushing colleges to combat sexual violence, they may need student activists to demonstrate in order to keep the pressure on the higher-ups at their universities. —Tyler Kingkade

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The crowd is thinning out at the Women's March

The crowd has thinned out considerably in Washington, DC, and marchers who reached the end are trickling through towards the Capitol and Union Station.

With the afternoon fading, temperatures seemed colder for marchers separated from the throng, but people also seem relieved for the space, pausing to take selfies and toss their signs in the overflowing bins.

"It was just so fantastic," said Michelle Carlson, of Austin, Texas, who said she was here to make a statement about women's rights, "and everybody's rights."

The march had gone differently than Carlson and her companions had expected. Still, the chaos had been "totally worth it," she said.

Carlson traveled to DC with a group of 12 others from Texas. Now she and two companions, tired and starving, were heading home though the march had moved on.

"I can't believe we're still fighting for this," said Lesley Mathews, of Baltimore, who was a teenager in the '60s and '70s. The reports of election hacking have delegitimized the Trump presidency, she said.

"I want him to realize we are not putting up with this," said Claudia Maceo, who traveled from San Antonio. "We are not pushovers. We're going to push back."

Sheila and Ellen Pierson, from Philadelphia, joined the march on 9th St. NW and Independence Avenue, and made it through almost to the end. They said they are happy they made the trip. — Nidhi Subbaraman

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Oversized protest crowd kept some marchers on the National Mall

The lack of any actual marching, on their part anyway, did not disappoint Shayne Benedict and Stewart Mostofsky, who split from the march and headed across the National Mall towards Union Station.

"It's incredible how enormous this is," Mostofsky said.

"It's bigger than anything we were expecting," said Benedict. "It sends a really powerful message, saying collectively that this wide range of issues matters. It's about maintaining a progressive movement."

— Nidhi Subbaraman

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A spokesperson for the Secret Service tells BuzzFeed News they have no comment on Madonna's thoughts about blowing up the White House

"Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House." - Madonna #WomensMarch

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A mother — whose first protest in 1958 was to earn African-Americans the right to vote — joined her daughter in Austin for the march.

Mother & daughter, ages 85 & 61: mom's first march was in 1958 in a demonstration for the right for black ppl to vo… https://t.co/ga19IWyLlC

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Marchers young and old made the trip

Marchers in Washington, DC, ranged from first-time protesters to long-time activists, but all of them were unhappy with the newly-inaugurated President Trump.

Lynn Mannix from Florida and Dianne Moorefield from Silor City, North Carolina, are here today because they believe the election set the country back 50 years.

"A bad 50 years," Mannix said.

"I can't believe it's real," Moorefield said, of the inauguration. " It's my first march and I'm 70 years old, so that tells you how much it means for me to do this."

She hopes the march will motivate other women to be more politically active in the mid-terms. "We needed a wake up call."

Moorefield said she is worried by President Trump's "hair trigger" temper. "It's quite scary.

Her friend, Mannix, said she is "dead set" against President Trump's policy on immigration.

"I want the world to see that there are a very large group of people who will not let people in power get away with trampling on any of our rights," Mannix said.

A contingent of about 15 medical students traveled to the march from Ohio State University.

Jackie Mostow, a third-year medical student has a vagina pattern tattooed to her cheek in gold. She decided the day after the election that she would travel to the march.

"In a time of intense sadness and fear, there was something to look forward to," Mostow said.

She said that the Trump administration's stance on health care makes her worried. "I'm nervous that people will get sicker."

Karolina Bodner, a retired school teacher from Barrington, New Hampshire, said she made her sign when the Iraq war began, and she traveled to Washington, DC, to protest then, too.

"It seems we take one step forward and 10 back," she said. — Nidhi Subbaraman

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Madonna said she has "thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House"

"Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House." - Madonna #WomensMarch

Madonna was peak Madonna when she took the stage at the Women's March. Referring to Trump's presidency, she said, "Yes, I am angry. Yes, I am outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House."

She added, "But I know that this won't change anything. We cannot fall into despair... I choose love."

She also sang a song dedicated "to the new DT in the White House," adding that the "d" could stand for dick.

The lyrics included, "Donald Trump, suck a dick."

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Here are all the best signs from Women’s Marches across America

"Damn right, we're snowflakes. Winter is coming."

Read and see more here.

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Twitter CEO explains bungled @POTUS transition

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted a Saturday morning explanation of the glitches in the transition of the official @POTUS Twitter account of former President Barack Obama to one for President Donald Trump.

The screw-up affected about 560,000 people.

Read more here.

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There are so many people at the DC march that the formal march can't happen, the Associated Press reported

A District of Columbia official told the AP that the Women's March organizers can't lead the formal march toward the White House as planned because of the massive turnout of hundreds of thousands of protesters filling the march route.

The official said that the entire route was filled with people shortly before 1 p.m. EST.

While the formal march will not take place, the crowd is still expected to move toward an area at the National Mall in front of the White House.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Here are many of the celebs at Women’s Marches worldwide

Here's a full list.

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Michael Flynn's son mocked the Women's March on Twitter asking "What MORE" do women want: "Free mani/pedis?"

Read more here.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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The Women's March in Chicago got so big it had to be changed to a rally only

Due to the large crowd on hand, today's Woman's March has been changed to a Rally.

And the crowds were so large in Washington the Metro had to skip the L'Enfant Plaza stop

L'Enfant Plaza: Due to crowding, all trains are bypassing station. Use other stations for march, e.g. Gallery Place, Metro Center. #wmata

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People in Antarctica are holding their own Women's March

Pre-march photo! #womensMarchAntarctica ❤️🐧

Read more here.

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Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, addressed calls for the government to defund the organization: "We will not go back. For a majority of people in this country, Planned Parenthood is not the problem. We are the solution. We have been a part of the fabric of America for 100 years. My class today is to ensure our doors stay open."

— Tom Namako

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Pink pussy hats were out in full force at the Women's March in Los Angeles

Pink pussy hats are here 💅🏼

There were some lit signs as well.

"Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers" is gonna be a tough sign to beat

"It is so important that we fight together, now and tomorrow and the next day!"

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren: "We are here, we will not be silent, we will not play dead."

US senator from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren reiterated the necessity of fighting for civil rights during the Trump administration at the Women's March on Washington in Boston Saturday morning.

"Donald Trump's campaign was about attacks on women, attacks on African-Americans, attacks on Latinas, attacks on religious groups, attacks on immigrants," she said.

"A Trump-Pence Supreme Court could overturn Roe versus Wade and dissolve marriages of LGBTQ citizens. A Republican Congress is eager to rip away health care from millions of Americans," she added.

Warren reminded the public that they needed to march in order to restore balance on the political playing field.

"The fact is that the playing field has been tilted badly in favor of those at the top for a generation now," she said. "And now President Trump and the Republican Congress are ready to ram through laws that will tilt it even harder. Now, we can whimper, we can whine, or we can fight back."

"Me, I'm here to fight back," she added.

Tamerra Griffin

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Ashley Judd cut off Michael Moore during his speech to say, "I'm a NASTY woman."

That moment when Ashley Judd cuts off Michael Moore mid-rant #WomensMarch

Filmmaker Michael Moore was suddenly cut off mid-speech when actress Ashley Judd took the stage to say she was a "naaasssttyyy woman."

"I am not as nasty as racism, fraud, conflict of interest, homophobia, sexual assault, transphobia, white supremacy, misogyny, ignorance, white privilege," Judd said.

"I am not as nasty as your own daughter being your favorite sex symbol — like your wet dreams infused with your own genes. But yes, I am a nasty woman. A loud, vulgar, proud woman. I am not nasty like the combination of Trump and Pence being served up to me in the voting booth."

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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"If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims." —Gloria Steinem

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem addressed the crowds at the march, saying, "Sometimes we must put our bodies where our beliefs are."

Steinem also slammed Trump's inauguration speech. "Trump says he was 'with the people,' but I have met the people, and you are not them. We are the people," she said.

She criticized Trump's plans for introducing a Muslim registry.

"If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims," Steinem said.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Actress America Ferrera had some powerful words for Donald Trump: "The president is not America...We are America"

"The president is not America." - @AmericaFerrera #WomansMarch

Ferrera, who is the chair for the Artists' Committee for the Women's March, did not mince words about the 45th president of the US. In a powerful speech, Ferrera said it was a "heartrending time" to be both a woman and immigrant in the country.

"Our dignity, our characters, our rights have all been under attack and a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America. His cabinet is not America. Congress is not America. We are America. And we are here to stay." — Tasneem Nashrulla

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The crowds for the Women’s March are much larger than the inauguration so far

Photos of the Shady Grove Metro station currently. Hearing it's an hour wait to get on the train. O____o… https://t.co/l9lfOt0aiW

Following a day of lower than typical ridership for Inauguration Day, the DC Metro is packed for the Women's March.

Metro officials have not yet estimated the size of today's crowds. But people are sharing videos and photos of the Metro stations, many of which appear to be mob scenes:

— Julia Reinstein

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Women's March on Washington rally is now underway

Facebook: video.php
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Women's marches are being held across the globe to protest Donald Trump

Sydney, Australia (left) and Berlin, Germany (right).

Marches are being held worldwide in solidarity with the Women's March On Washington today.

Some have already been held in cities such as Sydney, London, Melbourne, Durban, Berlin, Kosovo, and many, many others.

— Alicia Melville-Smith

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Large numbers of people have begun gathering ahead of the march in Washington

It's march day! -Signed, the Social Media Team #WomensMarch

A few out of the thousands signs at the #WomensMarch @womensmarch

— Alicia Melville-Smith

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People say they are being stopped from entering the US ahead of the Women’s March

People attempting to enter the United States from Canada to attend today's Women's March on Washington have reportedly been turned back at the border, while one man told BuzzFeed News US border officials tried to prevent him and his wife from entering the country.

CBC News reported on Thursday that a group of Canadians were held for several hours and fingerprinted at the St. Bernard de Lacolle, Quebec, crossing. They reportedly told officials they were heading to the march, but did not mention the inauguration.

Chris Bolestridge, a 37-year-old nurse from Sudbury, Ontario, told BuzzFeed News that he and his wife were asked, "why they should involve themselves in US politics" when they told border officials they were traveling to the march.

"We were stopped at the Fort Erie/Buffalo border crossing when we announced that we were going to participate in the Women's March. We informed them that we were there to support US citizens and give the Canadian support to women's issues underlying with this administration," he said. "They were very upset that we were doing this, and tried to find various reasons to exclude us from being able to enter. They were unable to."

My nephew just refused entry to the US for planning to attend 'a potentially violent rally against the president elect' (The Women's March).

— Rachael Krishna

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Thousands of women hit Sydney’s streets for the Women’s March

Thousands of people gathered in Sydney on Saturday morning in one of the first "Women's March" events happening around the globe to coincide with Donald Trump's inauguration.

In Hyde Park, a sea of signs bobbed above thousands of heads, invoking everything from Trump's infamous "grab them by the pussy" comment to fictional pop culture icons Dora the Explorer and Princess Leia. Feminist throwback Rosie the Riveter made a few appearances, as did the Grumpy Cat meme.

The crowd was just as colorful. One woman wore tampon earrings, complete with sparkly red "blood." Several prams had signs on them, one reading "My mum is a nasty woman!" Another marcher, dressed in a bra and skirt, had "Still not asking for it" proudly emblazoned across her chest.

— Lane Sainty

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Janelle Monáe among those slated to perform at Women’s March

The Women's March released the names of the artists who will perform at the kickoff of the Jan. 21 protest, with Janelle Monáe, Maxwell, and Angelique Kidjo headlining.

Other performers include the Indigo Girls, Toshi Reagon, Samantha Ronson, Emily Wells, DJ Rekha, MC Lyte, St. Beauty, Beverly Bond, Alia Sharrief, DJ Rimarkable, Amber Coffman, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Climbing PoeTree.

Among the speakers planned to address crowds at the event are America Ferrera, Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Ashley Judd, Scarlett Johansson, Melissa Harris-Perry, Michael Moore, and the group Mothers of the Movement, commonly associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.

— Blake Montgomery

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Flights packed with Women’s March participants are cheering all the way to DC

All around the country, fired-up flights full of people in "pussy hats" are making their way to DC.

Many people have reported that almost all the passengers are heading to the Women's March. Tons of flights have been asking for a show of hands to count how many marchers are aboard.

And it seems that those aboard the women-dominated flights are having a blast.

Correction. 90% of flight headed to #WomensMarchOnWashington. #planefullofnastywomen

On @AlaskaAir flight 4 with plane full of women and pussy hats. Energy is electric. #WomensMarchOnWashington

Air Canada flight 7616 from Toronto to DCA is filled with Canadian women in route to the #WomensMarchOnWashington 💪🏻

— Julie Reinstein

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