Thousands of people have joined the Women’s March in Washington DC as a feminist show of strength and to drive support towards the person vying to be the first woman elected president of the United States.
In their chants and on their signs, those in the crowd on Saturday, local time, found some creative ways to make their feelings known.
It came amid national debates about legal access to abortion and a woman’s right to make choices about her own body ahead of the US presidential campaign.
With the vote just days away, those on the street had several very clear and very clever messages for Republican nominee Donald Trump, including:
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“We need a leader not a creepy tweeter.”
“Uncle Sam stay outta my clam.”
“Roe, Roe, Roe your vote.”
“No sex with men until Roe comes back.”
“Grab him by the ballot.”
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“Sometimes you gotta flush twice.”
While these participants were smiling, their message was serious.(ABC News: Emily Clark)
The messages on the signs at the Women’s March were hard to miss.
Homemade signs stole the show at the National Women’s in Washington.( Reuters: Craig Hudson)
Thousands of people turned out for Saturday’s march, which is in its eighth year.(ABC News: Emily Clark)
The march was not a campaign event, but the Women’s March organisers billed the event as a “powerful reminder to those in power that we are watching and demanding accountability – and that this November, women will win the White House”.
The event featured speeches from prominent activists emphasising a future free from domination and violence and who rallied the crowd before taking the streets.
The march moved from Freedom Plaza, past the Washington Memorial and up to the White House.
The crowd was overwhelmingly in favour of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Women have been a key voting bloc for Ms Harris, who has been hoping to not just inspire Democrats to get out and vote, but to convince Republicans to switch sides.
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She was recently endorsed by high-profile Republican Liz Cheney.
Women marching on Washington became a regular occurrence after Trump’s victory in 2016, and on Saturday the crowd chanted: “We won’t go back.”
Many participants used signs to make their points at the march.(ABC News: Emily Clark)
They blame Trump for the restriction of their rights after he appointed conservative judges to the United States Supreme Court who then overturned Roe v Wade in 2022.
That decision removed the nationwide right to an abortion and triggered a series of bans and restrictions at the state level.
Currently, abortion is banned in almost all circumstances in 13 states.
‘It’s a matter of life and death’
Among the chanting crowd is grandmother Penny Herlihy, who turned out to march alongside a throng of young faces.
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She peeled away to speak to the ABC, handing her hand-painted sign that reads “EVEN WINE CAN’T FIX THIS” to her granddaughter.
“I’m here for my daughter, my daughters-in-law, my five absolutely beautiful granddaughters and for all women everywhere,” she said.
When it comes to the race for the White House, Ms Herlihy said the choice between the two options could not be more stark.
She cast her vote for Ms Harris as soon as she could.
Penny Herlihy and her family marched on Washington DC today to drive support towards Kamala Harris. (ABC News: Emily Clark)
“The opposition is a misogynist. He’s an anarch. He is unfit to be a human being, let alone a president,” Mr Herlihy said.
“She will lead our country forward. Unity!” she said before her grandchildren erupted in applause.
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Lori Harris travelled to the nation’s capital from New Jersey to attend the women’s march for her 20th year in a row.
“I have nieces, I have granddaughters and, even though this probably doesn’t affect me, women are already dying and I just think it’s a matter of life and death,” she said.
“Abortions aren’t going to stop. They’re just going to be less safe.
“This is just about controlling women.”
But she is not just here for women’s reproductive rights. Ms Harris came to show her support for a woman of colour being installed in the White House.
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“Trump is really dangerous. He’s a dangerous man,” she said.
“I’m a psychotherapist and a grad school student could diagnose him.
“And he’s really degraded — his cognitive decline is really conspicuous.
“This is a really dangerous time. I’m afraid — I really am.”
‘Pussyhats’ return
Mary Cahill (left), Carole Harris, Kim Kroeger and Eileen Boyle smile for a photo at the Women’s March.(ABC News: Emily Clark)
Eileen Boyle, her twin sister Carole and two friends Mary Cahill and Kim Kroeger travelled from Massachusetts to be in Washington DC for the march.
“We felt like we needed to do one last rallying cry before the election on Tuesday,” Ms Boyle said.
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“My mother, at a very young age, she was progressive and she instilled in us women’s rights and human rights, and we’re trying to carry the torch.”
When talking about the younger women in their life, Kim said: “We’re doing this for them.”
The group found their original pink “pussyhats” and took a road trip to the Capitol.
Women’s March began the day after Trump was inaugurated in 2017, and highlighted his rhetoric and policy positions. They have been an annual fixture since.
People from across the US travelled to Washington DC for the rally.(Reuters: Craig Hudson)
At the time, some estimates put the size of the demonstration in Washington at almost 500,000 people. Millions participated around the country.
This year’s event saw people travel from as far away as Washington state, signalling a revival of the movement now Trump is potentially just days away from winning another term.
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Organisers originally planned the events to send a message to the new president, whose candidacy was punctuated by criticisms about his attitude towards women.
At the forefront of those was the publication of a video from 2005 – known as the Access Hollywood tape – which involved Trump making multiple crude comments about women.
In the recording, Trump could be heard saying “you can do anything” to women if you are “a star” including “grab ’em by the pussy”.
Subsequently, distinctive pink “pussyhats” — which were the result of a countrywide craft campaign and donned by many march attendees — became synonymous with the movement.
Many women at the march said they wanted to protect their daughters’ and granddaughters’ rights.(Reuters: Craig Hudson)
WASHINGTON – A sunny, dry and mild Tuesday for the Washington, D.C. region, with highs near 71 degrees.
What we know:
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The day starts chilly, with temperatures in the 40s and a few upper 30s in the area. Plenty of sunshine with some light winds that will make for a pleasant afternoon. FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda says it’s a good day for outdoor plans, with temperatures climbing into the low 70s by mid‑afternoon. Winds may turn a bit breezy overnight, but conditions will remain cool and dry.
Rain chances return Wednesday as clouds increase. The morning and early afternoon look mostly dry, but the evening commute could turn soggy on Wednesday. Grenda says to expect two rounds of showers tomorrow – one around 5 p.m. and another after sunset – with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms. The severe weather threat appears to be limited.
Behind the system, Thursday turns cooler and breezy, with highs only in the mid‑60s. Temperatures rebound into the 70s Friday before a warm, more humid stretch arrives over the weekend. Highs could reach the 80s by Saturday and Sunday and the 90s by Monday.
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DC weather: Sunny, mild Tuesday; showers return Wednesday
The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 5 Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
With a blue sky above the Lincoln Memorial, people walk along the reflection pool in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2023.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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Jose Luis Magana/AP
A nonprofit is suing the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the decision to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at Washington D.C.’s National Mall, and to paint the pool’s basin blue.
The suit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), an education and advocacy organization. In the suit, TCLF is asking a federal judge to halt the project, saying that the Trump administration failed to have the project reviewed federally, as is dictated by the National Historic Preservation Act.
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President Trump revealed his plans for the pool do-over last month in “American flag blue,” saying that the project would take one week and $2 million, and that it would be completed in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. A few days later on Truth Social, the president posted a fake image of himself and several of his administration officials in swimsuits, along with an unidentified woman in a gingham bikini, lounging in the water with the Washington National Monument at the rear. (Swimming in the reflecting pool is prohibited by federal law.)
In a YouTube video posted by the White House on April 23, Trump called the pool “filthy dirty” and said it “leaked like a sieve.” In that video, Trump said he was going to call three companies that he has worked with in the past – “all they do is swimming pools” – and say, “Give me a good price.”
The New York Times reported last Friday that the contract for the reflecting pool’s resurfacing was awarded in a $6.9 million no-bid contract to a company called Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which previously has never held any federal contracts.
An employee at the Atlantic Industrial Coatings confirmed in a telephone call on Monday that it has been contracted for this project, but referred all other questions to the Department of the Interior.
The Times reported on Monday that the final cost of the project could be upward of $13 million, per documents it says it has obtained. The Department of the Interior did not confirm the cost of the project, but wrote: “The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project—more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th.”
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In an unsigned statement emailed to NPR Monday afternoon, the Interior Department wrote: “The National Park Service chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations. The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds’ from wildlife. The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come.”
Critics of the project, including TCLF, don’t share that vision – and are taking particular umbrage at the color.
“The reflecting pool should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of the larger ensemble of designed landscapes that comprise the National Mall,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of TCLF, said in a statement emailed to NPR Monday. “The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”
The National Park Service regularly cleans out algae, goose droppings and other detritus from the reflecting pool. The last major renovation of the reflecting pool, which included the installation of a new circulation and filtration system, took place during the Obama administration at a reported cost of $34 million.
Before founding TCLF in 2008, Birnbaum served for 15 years as the coordinator of the Historic Landscape Initiative for the National Park Service.
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TCLF has another open lawsuit against the federal administration: it is one of eight cultural and architecture groups currently suing President Trump and the Kennedy Center board over the planned renovations of the complex, which are planned to start in July.
The memorial service will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at 1 p.m.
A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon. (Roanoke Police Department)
WASHINGTON D.C. – A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon.
K-9 Knox died in the line of duty last year after he was accidentally hit by a police vehicle while pursuing a suspect involved in a stolen vehicle incident. He was a 3-year-old German shepherd and had served as a narcotics detection and patrol apprehension K-9 for the Roanoke Police Department since May 2023.
The memorial service will include a wreath-laying ceremony and will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. The event will open with a musical performance by Frank Ray, and the guest speaker will be Deputy Jared Hahn of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
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The San Antonio Police Department Blue Line Choir will sing the national anthem, and the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band will also perform.
