Women's March on London: 100,000 activists demonstrate against gender inequality after President Trump's inauguration

Chloe Chaplain21 January 2017

Thousands of activists gathered outside the US Embassy to march on London in celebration of women’s rights, diversity and equality.

Women’s March on London was planned in solidarity with a similar demonstration taking place in Washington - and the rest of the world - in the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory.

Organisers announced that 100,000 people took part in the huge event, which went from Grosvenor Square to a rally in Trafalgar Square.

Protesters swarmed into central London for the start of the demonstration just after midday - many wielding homemade signs with slogans referring to gender equality or President Trump.

Placards read "dump Trump", "reject hate, reclaim politics" and "no to racism, no to Trump".

Protest: Amazing images show a packed Trafalgar Square
PA

Some arrived in dressed in cat ears in a pointed reference to President Trump’s infamous “grab em by the p***y” comments.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and his wife Saadiya were in Trafalgar Square while celebrities including ex-England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and Iron Man 3 actress Rebecca Hall were spotted among the throngs of people.

Trafalgar Square: Protesters packed out central London

Hall said she joined the march because she is half American and half English, and said if she had been on the other side of her pond she would have joined the Washington DC demonstration.

Protest: The march was in support of equality and diversity

She added: "Yesterday was a confusing day and a sad day - I was sad to see Obama leave ... We do not know what the Government is going to be like."

Labour MP Harriet Harman was joined on the march by friend and American-British playwright Bonnie Greer.

Women's march: Protesters gathered at a rally in Trafalgar Square

Referring to outgoing US president Barack Obama, Ms Harman said: "It's just a shame they have a two-term limit, isn't it?"

Ms Greer warned that Mr Trump's presidency was "not a joke", adding: "This is for real and I think this march demonstrates that London understands that."

Dump Trump: The march went through central London 
Getty Images

The organisers said the march was "for the protection of our fundamental rights and for the safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events".

"We unite and stand together for the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities," the event page said.

They called for "an international day of action in solidarity" on the day President Trump takes over the Oval Office.

Women's March London 2017

1/17

Asked why she was marching today, Yoga teacher Arendall Piercey told the Standard: “It is incomprehensible that we are even in this position in 2017. And we can’t keep living in an apathetic society.

“We have the means to fight for our rights on behalf of people around the world – so it’s our duty to.

“I hope the march today lets Trump know that he cannot continue bullying everyone who is not white and male.”

Holding a sign saying "my p***y is not up for grabs", Kim McInally said she had travelled from Brighton for the demonstration.

The 32-year-old said: "Yesterday was seen as the official start of fascism coming back."

Protest: A Women's March banner is displayed outside The US Embassy
Getty Images

She claimed "human rights and human equality is getting pushed further and further down the list".

Marches are also happening in other UK cities including Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool and Cardiff, with thousands expected to attend.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT