The Women's March in the nation's capital ahead of the man's return to the White House comes eight years after mass protests were sparked by a series of accusations of sexual misconduct and misogyny against the incoming president, as well as a campaign to restrict reproductive rights. held again. As in 2017, spin-off rallies were held in several other cities across the United States.

After being rebranded and reorganized, the protest was given a new title by organizers: the "People's March," as a means of broadening support, especially as progressive groups face difficulties following Donald Trump's decisive victory in November. and a period of reflection.

Trump once again defeated the Democratic nominee who, if she wins, would become the first female president of the United States. The Republican was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday, with his victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election even more secure than his defeat of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Since Trump last occupied the Oval Office, he has been found guilty in civil court of sexual abuse and in criminal court for bribing adult film star Stormy Daniels and concealing transactions Some form of election fraud. His selection of U.S. Supreme Court justices tipped the balance of the U.S. Supreme Court to the right and helped overturn Roe v. Wade, a ruling that allowed nations to seek abortion and stood in place for nearly 50 years.

In 2017, two days before Trump was inaugurated, women angry at Trump's presidential victory flocked to Washington, D.C., organizing large rallies in cities across the country, setting the stage for the grassroots movement that came to be known as the Women's March. Base. It was one of the largest single-day demonstrations in American history.

At the time, Evvie Harmon, the march's global coordinator, said preliminary and unofficial estimates put the crowd in Washington at more than 1 million, and global attendance at more than 3 million.

This year's march in the capital is expected to be less than one-tenth the size of 2017's march - which included massive pro-science and pro-climate action protests - as people realize that a majority of the vote cannot be won by Trump support. No longer viewed as an aberration or experiment.

The relative quiet on Saturday stood in stark contrast to the tense atmosphere at the inaugural rallies, when large crowds shouted demands through loudspeakers and thousands wore bright pink "pussy hats," often homemade in response to special requests. Trump's public remarks in October 2016 that he had a habit of "grabbing" women by their "pussies" without their consent did not undermine his campaign.

The Women's March took place every January and lasted for several years on a smaller scale, but eventually the movement imploded under the steady rightward push of Trump's first administration.

“The reality is, it’s hard to capture lightning in a bottle,” said Tamika Middleton, general manager of the Women’s March. "It was a really special moment. In 2017, we hadn't seen a Trump presidency and the kind of vitriol that it represented."

A group of people wearing pink pussyhats held up signs that read "Abortion Rights Now," "We Will Not Be Silent" and "Stop Racism" in a cold downtown Washington, D.C., on Saturday. slogans with messages and listened as a series of speakers called Trump's right-wing agenda against abortion rights, transgender rights and democratic norms dangerous while urging people to "educate, activate, advocate" despite acknowledging that many progressives "Tired of it."

Saturday's demonstration will focus on feminism, racial justice and anti-militarization, among other issues, and will conclude with a discussion hosted by social justice organizations.

Joe Reger, a sociology professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, who studies social movements, said the People's March was unusual in that it "brought a lot of issues together." For example, the women's suffrage marches focused on the specific goal of voting rights.

For a broad-based social justice movement like the march, conflicting visions are inevitable, and organizers face "tremendous pressure" to meet everyone's needs, Reger said. But she also said some dissonance is not necessarily a bad thing.

“Often, what it does is bring about change and bring new perspectives, especially underrepresented voices,” Reger said.

The Women's March's Middleton said the goal on Saturday was to draw broad attention to women's and reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, climate and American democracy, rather than focusing attention on Trump.

Reporting by the Associated Press