Anti-Trump women's rallies draw thousands across the US
Thousands took to the streets over the USA for women's marches on Saturday, many wearing pink protest hats while issuing fervent calls against President Donald Trump and his conservative Supreme Court pick.
The rallies prior to the Nov 3 election were inspired by the first Women's March in Washington, an enormous anti-Trump rally held a day after his 2017 inauguration.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the demonstrations on Saturday were considerably smaller, though protesters still proved in cities in the united states, according to organizers.
A lot more than 100,000 persons took part in a few 430 marches in spots from New York to LA and Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, organizers said.
They urged people concerned about in-person participation to become listed on in a "socially distant text-banking telethon" targeted at sending five million messages encouraging persons to vote.
Marchers also paid tribute to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg - an icon for women and progressives - while protesting Trump's choice of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to displace her.
Barrett has made no secret of her strong Catholic beliefs, raising concerns that a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives could overturn abortion rights if she actually is confirmed by the Senate.
Trump and his fellow Republicans are seeking to fast-track her nomination prior to the election, a process that started out this week and which includes drawn sharp controversy.
The protest route in Washington started near the White House before going to the united states Capitol and the Supreme Court building, in which a smaller "I'm With Her" counterprotest - in Barrett's favor - happened.
Most marchers in Washington wore face masks to stem the spread of Covid-19, with some dressed as Ginsburg in black robes with white lace collars, and several wore the knitted pink hats made famous by the initial march.
Numerous protesters dressed up in red robes and white bonnets, portraying characters forced to bear children in the dystopian novel and television set series "The Handmaid's Tale."
Signs and banners underscored the broader anti-Trump message: "Trump/Pence: Out Now," read one, while others simply said, "Dump Trump."
In NY, around 300 people gathered at Manhattan's Washington Square, many with pink hats and signs supporting Trump's Democratic opponent Joe Biden or honoring Ginsburg. It had been among five separate marches in the town.
"It's important to be here and make an effort to encourage persons to vote out Trump and his misogynistic policies, especially now, with Covid, whenever a lot of folks are isolated," said Yvonne Shackleton, a 47-year-old working mother from near Albany, in regards to a three-hour drive from New York City.
A similar number of folks gathered in Brooklyn, Ginsburg's hometown, with one protester's sign reading: "Ruth Sent Us."
"I'm out here because it's so important that person vote and I'm telling persons to vote blue for Biden and (running mate Kamala) Harris because Trump has been a disaster for our country," said Wendy Sacks, a 67-year-old vintage jewelry seller.
Mask-wearing protesters marched in Chicago with the same message, banging drums and chanting for Trump's defeat.
Trump's support from women has dropped sharply - particularly among those residing in the suburbs. He now trails Biden among likely women voters by 23 points, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll. - AFP
