Women send message of defiance
Protesters around the globe show women have a voice as they express discontent over the election of President Donald Trump. Courtney Weaver, US political correspondent, reports from Washington DC.
Filmed and produced by Gregory Bobillot. Additional footage: Reuters
Transcript
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MADONNA: It seems as though we had all slipped into a false sense of comfort, that justice would prevail and that good would win in the end.
COURTNEY WEAVER: On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of D.C. As part of the women's march on Washington, a rebuke to Donald Trump just as he takes office. It was one of dozens of demonstrations around the world. The crowd size, more than two million people, according to organisers.
SUBJECT 1: This turn out strikes me as much larger than any of the marches that we participated in in the 1960s and 70s. I think that the size of the turnout expresses a level of intensity of sentiment that we haven't seen in a long time.
COURTNEY WEAVER: Just 24 hours after Donald Trump's inauguration, hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered here in Washington for what is expected to be one of the biggest protests in modern history. The question now though is where does this movement go from here? And how do they make it go farther?
COURTNEY WEAVER: For many in town, the day offered a chance to replay the November election on a weekend that many had expected to see the first woman enter the White House.
SUBJECT 2: We actually booked our trip in July when Hillary got the nomination.
SUBJECT 3: So we thought we were coming here for her inauguration.
SUBJECT 2: We thought we were coming for her inauguration.
SUBJECT 3: Surprise.
SUBJECT 2: We decided to keep our trip so we could march.
COURTNEY WEAVER: Among those on the streets in D.C. were leading figures of the women's rights movement, including Gloria Steinem. Also there was John Kerry, the former Secretary of State, and Hollywood celebrities, including Madonna and Scarlett Johansson. For others it was their first time at a political protest, a sign that Mr Trump's election may have galvanised a new generation of Americans.
SUBJECT 4: Yes.
SUBJECT 5: Yes.
SUBJECT 6: My first one. Probably a lot of people's first, right?
SUBJECT 5: It's a lot.
SUBJECT 6: We're pretty lucky to be part of something so big. I told her, her kids will read about this in history books one day. Definitely.
SUBJECT 7: I really don't like that he's president because it's just-- he's doing things that are not right. And we need to show him that.
COURTNEY WEAVER: What are you going to show him?
SUBJECT 7: That he should not be president. And that women should have rights, and everybody should be treated equally.
COURTNEY WEAVER: Demonstrators say they will continue to speak out against President Trump and his more controversial comments. They also say they plan to take on a more active role in local politics, hoping that they can turn Mr Trump's presidency into a call for civic action.
SUBJECT 8: People are going to realise that you have to come out here, and you have to work with it and work out it, that it's not just going to be handed to us at any point. And I think this is the great start. This is just the beginning.
COURTNEY WEAVER: Courtney Weaver, "Financial Times," Washington.
MADONNA: Good did not win this election. But good will win.
