Thousands of protesters have taken part in a Women’s March in London as part of an international campaign on the first full day of Donald Trump’s presidency.
They marched from the US embassy to Trafalgar Square for a rally, held in solidarity with a Washington DC march.
TV presenter Sandi Toksvig and Labour MP Yvette Cooper addressed crowds, while London mayor Sadiq Khan attended.
Organisers say it highlighted women’s rights, which they perceive to be under threat from the new US administration.
London organisers announced on stage that between 80,000 and 100,000 women and men had taken part in the rally.
However, police have not given an independent estimate and the BBC has no way of verifying the figure.
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Demonstrators left the US embassy, in London’s Grosvenor Square, shortly after midday and chanted “build bridges not walls” as they made their way along Piccadilly.
Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Shipley were also hosting protests.
It comes as up to an estimated 200,000 protesters joined a “Women’s March on Washington”.
Image copyrightPA
Image copyrightPA/GETTY IMAGESEleanor Hallam, 26, was among those marching in London. She said she was there “out of solidarity for all the women and other groups marginalised by Trump’s politics”.
Hannah Webb, 26, who travelled from South Wales to London, added: “When social media feeds you fear, it feels good to march together shoulder to shoulder.”
Nic Bash, an American now living in London, said he had attended “because if you don’t like something you have to try and change it”.
‘We have to stand up’
Politicians, activists and celebrities took to the stage to address the crowds in Trafalgar Square.
TV presenter Sandi Toksvig, who co-founded the Women’s Equality Party, said: “I am here today because I believe in a woman’s right to choose.”
The Labour MP Yvette Cooper told the rally: “When the most powerful man in the world says it’s okay to sexually assault women because you are rich and powerful, we have to stand up and say no way.”
Hollywood actress Rebecca Hall said it was “important for me to march in solidarity” in London.
The half American, half British actress added: “Yesterday was a confusing day and a sad day – I was sad to see Obama leave.”
At the scene
Image copyrightPACherry Wilson, BBC News
“Stand united, we will never be divided”, was the message chanted by the crowd as people marched through central London.
Sporadic cheers erupted every few minutes as the crowd held up placards to the beat of drum and bass music from a portable sound system.
Pink, heart-shaped balloons and messages to Donald Trump were carried by the crowd with people travelling from as far as Scotland to attend the march.
“It’s sending a message of solidarity,” said Valuska Andrews, 49, who had come from Edinburgh.
“We want progressive politics and the truth. It’s about people supporting each other.”
Her sister Ludi, from south London, added: “Women’s rights is a huge issue. We have had choice and we want our daughters to have that.”
A protest against Mr Trump also took place at London’s US embassy on Friday night.
Singer Lily Allen joined demonstrators, local politicians and trades unionists to highlight concerns raised by his election campaign on issues including nuclear weapons, climate change and immigration.
Protests also happened in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester as Mr Trump was being sworn in as the 45th US president.
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Celebrities such as Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Schumer, Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, Patricia Arquette and Michael Moore are all expected to attend the Washington DC rally.
Events are also being held in some 300 US cities – from New York to Seattle – while almost 700 so-called sister marches are being held across the globe.
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Protests have already taken place in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, as well as Asian cities such as Bangkok.
Several thousand women and men joined a rally in central Sydney, with a similar number in Melbourne.
Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Geneva, Budapest, Prague and Berlin were among European cities holding rallies.
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Image copyrightREUTERS[Source:-BBC]
