Women's march the largest protest in US history

January 23, 2017
New York anti-Trump protest.
New York march. The January 21 protests were the largest in US history.

"President Donald Trump wound up fulfilling his promise that his inauguration would break records, just probably not in the way he had in mind," US Uncut noted on January 22. "The Women’s March, an anti-Trump protest aimed at standing up for women’s rights, is now estimated to be the largest one-day protest in United States history."

US Uncut also noted on January 21 that hundreds of thousands more marched against Trump and his ultra-eractionary agenda around the world: "The Women’s March on Washington — the flagship event — drew more than 500,000 participants, which was more than double what march organizers anticipated. However, marches are taking place in approximately 600 cities worldwide, and on all seven continents (even Antarctica)."

US Uncut said: "Marchers were undeterred by the cold temperatures normally associated with late January. New York City’s massive march stretched on for “miles,” according to participants on the scene. Gothamist reported that New York’s crowd came close to 200,000 people, which doubled original crowd projections. Even in St. Paul, Minnesota, approximately 60,000 people came out to the state capitol grounds to protest the Trump administration.

The march in Chicago brought out over a quarter million supporters, making the crowd so big that it had to be moved from its original location at Federal Plaza to Hyde Park, and effectively shutting down the march route, as the crowd was too big to march through Chicago’s streets. The Denver Post reported that Denver, Colorado’s women’s march attracted over 100,000 participants.

"Saint Louis, Missouri city councilman Antonio French tweeted a video of the Women’s March in his city, which, according to local media, drew out between 11,000 and 13,000 people. Tens of thousands took the streets in Atlanta, and Boston’s march attracted more than 125,000 people.

"In the United Kingdom, some 100,000 women and male allies gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square to oppose Donald Trump’s presidency. Many Londoners carried signs highlighting President Trump’s demeaning remarks about women."

US Uncut said that based on numbers tallied by UConn professor Jeremy Pressman, the current total estimate of those who attended the marches (excluding those who demonstrated in other countries) sits between 3.2 million and 4.2 million. The numbers are only expected to increase as more accurate numbers pour in.

For context, here is how the Women’s March numbers stack up against some of America’s largest protests:

Martin Luther King’s March on Washington DC (1963), where he gave the historic “I Have a Dream” speech: 250,000

Anti-Vietnam war protest in Washington DC (1969) – 500,000-600,000

Anti-Nuclear March in NYC Central Park (1982) – 1 million

March on Washington DC for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation (1993) – Between 800,000 and 1 million

Protest against the Iraq War in cities across America (2003) – 500,000

Women’s March in cities across the United States (2017) – 3.1 million.

Pressman’s up-to-date numbers can be found here. US Uncut’s estimates can be found here. 

Visit US Uncut for more coverage

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