Thousands to participate in Washington women’s march

Tens of thousands of people are set to participate in a “Women’s March on Washington” the day after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2017.

The event, which is publicised on Facebook and scheduled for January 21, 2017, has garnered national attention and is titled the “Women’s March on Washington”,

Previously, it was called the “Million Women March on DC”.

As of Saturday, the page had over 44,000 individuals who said they were going, with more than 121,000 people saying they were interested.

Fontaine Pearson, one of the march’s organisers, told CNN the march was not a protest against Trump or the legitimacy of the election, but it was to shed light on women’s issues, including sexual assault and workplace discrimination.

“We’re strong, but this has been a very difficult election for a lot of women,” Pearson said, also noting that she had seen interest from individuals on both side of political aisle.

The page’s description says it is a “inclusive march” for “everyone who supports women’s rights”, and has multiple additional groups set up by state that are coordinating travel to Washington for the march.

Pearson added the march is part of a broader grassroots movement that she hopes will allow more action at state levels.

The event’s conception comes in light of Trump’s White House victory night, which has sparked protests in major cities across the US.

Trump was widely criticised during the campaign for remarks he made in a 2005 tape in which he bragged that he could grope women and get away with it. Soon after, several women came forward alleging that Trump sexually assaulted them.