Jan. 18 (UPI) — Tens of thousands of people rallied in Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the “People’s March,” held to protest the pending inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
The protest officially started at 10 a.m. EST at several locations, such as Franklin Park, Farragut Square and McPherson Square, with each location dedicated to a particular area of interest.
The respective areas of interest include immigration, democracy, women’s rights and climate change.
“The People’s March will be a day of joyful resistance, community building and powerful action,” the event’s website says. “Together, we’ll march to remind the nation that real power lies with the people – and our resistance is unshakable.”
Organizers aimed to rally 50,000 people for the event but the DC Police Department estimated the crowd at 25,000, the Guardian reported.
The protesters marched along the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial where a rally was held from 1 p.m. to 3 to “confront Trumpism.”
Women comprised most of the participants and remained peaceful as preparations continued elsewhere in support of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, the BBC reported.
There was no indication how many of those who participated in the “People’s March” intend to stay in the area to protest Trump’s inauguration or his Sunday victory rally in the nation’s capital.
Trump has scheduled a “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” Sunday at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. The venue holds up to 20,000 and could become a focal point for protesters opposing Trump’s inauguration on Monday morning.
At least one and possibly more protest events also are scheduled on Monday in the nation’s capital.
Civil rights advocate Al Sharpton has scheduled an MLK Day Rally and March at 10 a.m. Monday followed by a rally at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington at noon.
“Our nation again stands at a crossroads in the fight for the soul of America,” Sharpton said in the event’s online announcement.
“The man who has made it his mission to suppress the vote, demonize diversity and roll back our rights will take the oath again,” he said. “This moment demands that we be louder, stronger and more determined than ever to keep Dr. King’s dream alive.”
The National Park Service also is processing a permit request for a protest event called “Peace & Justice – Free Palestine” and to “save democracy” that would draw up to 15,000 participants, Axios reported.
Trump’s inauguration is scheduled for Monday morning but has been moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda due to unseasonably cold temperatures forecast due to an Arctic air mass descending into the United States.
Several other inaugural events also are scheduled Monday with Trump expected to attend throughout the day and evening.
The inclement weather might discourage protest violence that occurred during Trump’s 2017 inauguration. On that day, hundreds of protesters damaged property and attacked police officers just blocks away from Trump’s inaugural parade route.
Many of those protesters participated in the Women’s March that drew an estimated 500,000 participants in advance of Trump’s first inauguration. The Women’s March was organized by the same groups that organized Saturday’s People’s March.
Police officers arrested 217 protesters who injured three officers, including three who were struck in the head by objects thrown by violent protesters in 2017.
An estimated 500 protesters rioted on 13th Street while armed with crowbars and threw objects at businesses and people and destroyed many storefronts and damaged many vehicles on that day.
Police resorted to pepper spray to disperse the rioters, many of who were charged with criminal offenses.