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A huge crowd turned out on the National Mall of the U.S. capital for a "Women's March On Washington" in protest at new President Donald Trump.
A huge crowd turned out on the National Mall of the U.S. capital for a "Women's March On Washington" in protest at new President Donald Trump.

Live Blog: Women's March On Washington

Follow the latest developments as women hold human rights rallies in Washington and hundreds of cities around the globe.

Final Synopsis

-- Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to streets in cities across the world on January 21 to show solidarity for a Washington D.C. protest dubbed as the "Women's March" against newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump.

-- The streets were so packed at the main march in Washington, D.C., that it had to be rerouted. One organizer told the crowd that an estimated 500,000 people had assembled for the event, although that claim was not independently confirmed.

-- The event's organizers say they wanted to send a message to "to the world that women's rights are human rights"

-- Besides promoting equal rights for women, the marchers also want to defend marginalized groups, including people of color, ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, and the LGBT community.

-- The organizers said such groups had been "insulted, demonized, and threatened" in the U.S. election cycle that brought Trump to power.

* NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Washington DC (GMT/UTC -5)

11:49 21.1.2017

There has reportedly been a run on pink yarn in the United States as Women's March participants scrambled to knit, crochet, and sew pink hats with cat ears to wear during rallies around the globe.

It's all part of the Pussyhat Project, which aims to have 1.7 million pussyhats on display in a show of opposition to derogatory comments, referencing female genitalia, made by Donald Trump in a video that surfaced during his campaign.

11:26 21.1.2017

Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson, Cher, Julianne Moore, and Frances McDormand are among the A-listers expected to turn out for the Women's March on Washington. Here's a rundown of some of the big names and what they will be doing.

10:53 21.1.2017

Good morning. With today's women's marches on Washington and elsewhere getting under way, we'll start the live blog with this curtain-raiser from RFE/RL's news desk:

Women Marchers Plan To Send Signal To President Trump

Demonstrators in Brussels, mostly women, attend a rally protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration. Hundreds of similar events are due to be held around the world on January 21, in solidarity with a "Women's March On Washington," which is expected to attract tens of thousands of people.
Demonstrators in Brussels, mostly women, attend a rally protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration. Hundreds of similar events are due to be held around the world on January 21, in solidarity with a "Women's March On Washington," which is expected to attract tens of thousands of people.

Women from around the United States are converging on Washington D.C. to join a mass protest march on January 21 -- the first full day in office for newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump.

During the U.S. election campaign, Trump was often criticized for his attitude and public statements toward women.

Now, many women and men plan to express in the streets of the U.S. capital how they feel about Trump by joining what is being billed as the "Women's March" main event.

Other so-called "solidarity" marches are scheduled in cities across the United States and around the world.

One women's march was already held in Brussels on January 20 with around 1,000 people gathering in the Belgian capital for a "Lights for Rights!" rally. The crowd, mostly women, denounced sexism and protested against President Trump.

WATCH: Rally For Women's Rights, Protest Against Trump In Brussels

Rally For Women's Rights, Protest Against Trump In Brussels
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Organizers behind the march in the U.S. capital say they want their voices to be heard by Trump's administration on its first day.

"The Women’s March on Washington will 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," they said on the womensmarch.com website. "We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us."

March organizers added that, despite the name, all were welcome to join, not just women.

The organizers expect some 200,000 people to attend their Washington protest, which is set to being at 10 a.m. local time.

The marches come a day after an Inauguration Day that featured the usual celebrations but was also disrupted by protests and some violence in Washington.

TV footage showed police in riot gear using pepper spray and making arrests after some protesters smashed windows of downtown businesses. The AFP news agency reported that many of those protesters were masked, clad in black and carrying anarchist flags.

Other incidents were reported throughout the capital. Police made at least 95 arrests in the U.S. capital on January 20.

Organizers of the Women's March were urging those participating to protest peacefully.

"Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people," they said.

The website says that 673 marches were planned globally, with more than 2 million sympathizers expected to join.

In London, organizers called for an international day of solidarity.

"The U.S. election proved a catalyst for a grassroots movement of women to assert the positive values that the politics of fear denies," they said. "We, the organizers of the London march, call on people of all genders to march in London as part of an international day of action in solidarity."

In Moscow, organizers were also planning a solidarity march for January 21.

"Millions will gather in Washington D.C. and in hundreds of cities around the world," they said on the actionnetwork.org website. "This is a local event for those that will be unable to travel to Washington, D.C. -- instead, we will march in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington here in Moscow."

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