People crowded on the Lincoln Memorial steps and filled the paths by the Reflecting Pool ahead of Saturday’s march in Washington, DC.
Some brought last year’s hats and signs; other posters were fresh, made overnight.
The turnout was much smaller than the historic numbers that filled the city last year. And the marchers were local — several told BuzzFeed News that they had taken the subway over from Maryland or Virginia.
A diverse cast of speakers and performers addressed the crowd, as marchers, their kids, and their very good dogs skated and played on the frozen surface of the Reflecting Pool, screeching with joy as the ice gave way to a few inches of water.
The warm, bright Saturday morning had a carnival atmosphere, one punctuated by now familiar chants: “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!”
But the calls, like the poster board signs, had evolved since last year to reference issues that became news in President Trump’s first year. As the march began, one group chanted: “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”
“The March set off something that wasn’t easily contained. Virginia is not purple any more. It’s turning blue,” said Jennifer Fredrick, a Virginia resident who was there with her daughter, Keegan.
Louise Levathes, who lives in DC, carried a poster that read, “Putin is not my president.”
She said she brought it to last year’s march but the issue had only grown in importance to her. “I think the Russian interference goes way beyond Trump,” she told BuzzFeed News.
Tamika Clegg had brought her daughter Kennedy, 7, to soak in the atmosphere. They’d go home and talk about the importance of events like this one, Clegg said.
A group of Hillary Clinton supporters from Trump country in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, who had travelled to the march last year were back again for this one.
“It was an amazing experience that made us feel less isolated,” said Blake Hargrove.
He said he often feels marginalized and “out of step” within his community, and they attended this event because they shared its values.
Kris and Adam Desjardins, from Maryland, brought their toddlers, Mac, 4, and Jackson, almost 2.
Mac said that the president was a “meanie” and added that he needed to “be nicer.” His parents plastered his comments on the sign he carried.
“You need to show your voice because silence can be consent,” Kris said.
— Nidhi Subbaraman
