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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)

14:09 21.1.2017

14:08 21.1.2017

Getting tens of thousands (organizers expect 200,000) to Washington for the Women's March has created somewhat of a logistical nightmare.

Bus-sharing companies have taken off, according to The New York Times. The bus start-up Skedaddle is reportedly getting bookings from as far away as Kansas, while its competitor Rally has set up a special page dedicated to the Women's March and is expected to bus in 50,000 marchers to D.C.

The organizers of the march themselves have provided a bus finder for those who want to make the trip.

As evidenced by all the pics being posted to the Women's March app and Twitter, passengers are having a ball.

14:08 21.1.2017

13:49 21.1.2017

And here are some tweets from the scene of other women's marches around the world:

13:30 21.1.2017

There's also a women's march happening just down the road from here, on Prague's main thoroughfare Wenceslas Square:

13:15 21.1.2017

Why We March#

A condensed version of the Guiding Vision And Principles of the Women's March on Washington:

The Women's March on Washington is a women-led movement bringing together people of all genders, ages, races, cultures, political affiliations and backgrounds ... to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination.

● We believe that Women’s Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Women’s Rights.

● We believe Gender Justice is Racial Justice is Economic Justice. We must create a society in which all women—including Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, Muslim women, lesbian, queer and trans women—are free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments.

● Women deserve to live full and healthy lives, free of violence against our bodies.

● We believe in accountability and justice for police brutality and ending racial profiling and targeting of communities of color.

● We believe it is our moral imperative to dismantle the gender and racial inequities within the criminal justice system.

● We believe in Reproductive Freedom. We do not accept any federal, state or local rollbacks, cuts or restrictions on our ability to access quality reproductive healthcare services, birth control, HIV/AIDS care and prevention, or medically accurate sexuality education. This means open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion and birth control for all people, regardless of income, location or education.

● We believe in Gender Justice. We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes. We must free ourselves and our society from the institution of awarding power, agency and resources disproportionately to masculinity to the exclusion of others.

● We firmly declare that LGBTQIA Rights are Human Rights and that it is our obligation to uplift, expand and protect the rights of our gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans or gender non-conforming brothers, sisters and siblings.

● We believe in an economy powered by transparency, accountability, security and equity. We believe that creating workforce opportunities that reduce discrimination against women and mothers allow economies to thrive.

● We believe in equal pay for equal work and the right of all women to be paid equitably.

● We recognize that women of color carry the heaviest burden in the global and domestic economic landscape, particularly in the care economy.

● We believe that all workers – including domestic and farm workers - must have the right to organize and fight for a living minimum wage, and that unions and other labor associations are critical to a healthy and thriving economy for all.

● We believe Civil Rights are our birthright. Our Constitutional government establishes a framework to provide and expand rights and freedoms–not restrict them. To this end, we must protect and restore all the Constitutionally-mandated rights to all our citizens, including voting rights, freedom to worship without fear of intimidation or harassment, freedom of speech, and protections for all citizens regardless of race, gender, age or disability.

● We believe that all women’s issues are issues faced by women with disabilities and Deaf women.

● We believe it is time for an all-inclusive Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Most Americans believe the Constitution guarantees equal rights, but it does not.

● Rooted in the promise of America’s call for huddled masses yearning to breathe free, we believe in immigrant and refugee rights regardless of status or country of origin.

● We believe that every person and every community in our nation has the right to clean water, clean air, and access to and enjoyment of public lands.

12:54 21.1.2017

To march or not to march. Rift over abortion is keeping some women away, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"A self-described Christian liberal from Dover, Pa., she was horrified by President Trump’s rhetoric toward women and minorities during the campaign. This was their chance, she thought, to stand with other women in support of a more inclusive and equal world.

"Then she read that the organizers had refused to partner with a group of antiabortion feminists..."

12:33 21.1.2017

So marches have already been taking place in Australia and News Zealand, as reported by RFE/RL's news desk:

Australia, New Zealand Kick Off Anti-Trump Women’s Marches

Women protesters march in a rally against U.S President Donald Trump following his inauguration, in Sydney on January 21.
Women protesters march in a rally against U.S President Donald Trump following his inauguration, in Sydney on January 21.

Thousands of people from Australia and New Zealand took to the streets on January 21, kicking off the global Women’s March on Washington movement in protest against newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump.

Several thousand women and men joined the movement in central Sydney and a similar crowd turned out in Melbourne.

"Hatred, hate speech, bigotry, discrimination, prejudicial policies -- these are not American problems, these are global problems," Women's March Sydney co-founder Mindy Freiband told the crowd.

Hundreds of people also demonstrated in New Zealand's biggest cities, Wellington and Auckland.

The marches in Australia and New Zealand are the first of more than 600 rallies planned for cities across the world.

Read more here

12:26 21.1.2017

To get you in the mood ...

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