The march was scheduled to mark the anniversary of Trump’s first year in office, which also coincided with a government shutdown after lawmakers in the upper chamber of Congress failed to reach a deal on a short-term budget for funding government operations.
According to Politico, some 300,000 people attended the rally in Chicago, and 120,00 people attended a protest in New York City. 600,000 people turned out for Los Angeles rally, while Washington rally drew some 470,000 marchers.
The protests come a year after millions of people turned out for the Women’s March, protesting President Trump’s inauguration and calling for deeper social and political change.
Trump’s response to the marches on Saturday was, “Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!"
This is while the US government is facing a shutdown. The vast majority of Democratic senators have refused to back a temporary spending bill unless it includes protections for hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, but Republicans have said they will not negotiate on immigrant issues unless the federal government has reopened.
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