The Latest: Protesters still marching through Washington


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Women's March on Washington and associated protests around the world (all times EST):

7:55 p.m.

Hours after the Women's March on Washington was scheduled to end, many women are still marching.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters are flooding through the streets of downtown Washington Saturday night. Many are chanting and waving signs.

Police in cars and on bicycles and motorcycles are escorting the crowd through the congested downtown area.

Authorities have cleared traffic in most cases, but not all. The march has passed through traffic at times.

Some drivers don't seem to mind. They're taking photos or video of the scene with their phones.

There have been no known arrests related to Saturday's gathering, which is among the biggest demonstrations in the city's history.

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6:10 p.m.

A day after more than 200 people were arrested in Washington while protesting the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the Woman's March on Washington didn't yield a single arrest.

That's according to the District of Columbia's homeland security director, Christopher Geldart.

Friday's protests were led by self-described anarchists, and federal prosecutors say most of those arrested will be charged with felony rioting.

Geldart says, "I think our Metropolitan Police Department performed not only admirably but outstandingly."

He adds, "They knew when we had those who were trying to destroy things and those who were trying to peacefully protest."

Geldart says it is safe to say the crowd at the Women's March exceeded the 500,000 that organizers told city officials to expect. That would make it one of the largest demonstrations in the city's history.

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5:30 p.m.

As night falls on the East Coast, thousands of protesters from the Women's March on Washington are still marching through the city's streets in opposition to President Donald Trump.

Police officers stationed near the Ellipse south of the White House are chatting and joking with protesters.

Some protesters chanted, "Welcome to your first day, we will never go away." Others were chanting about democracy and women's rights, or holding protest signs.

Many of the protesters were waiting out a logjam of people trying to exit the area.

Transportation officials had earlier warned there would be delays as the hundreds of thousands of protesters tried to take public transportation out of the city after the march formally ended.

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5:25 p.m.

Transportation officials in Washington say Saturday is already the fifth busiest Saturday in the subway system's history.

By 4 p.m. Saturday, Metro tweeted that it has recorded more than 597,000 trips on the system and seen heavy crowds entering at all downtown stations.

Metro spokesman Dan Stessel says the system usually sees about 620,000 trips on a normal weekday and it's many times busier than a usual Saturday.

Stessel says the ridership numbers are on track to ultimately top the system's busiest Saturday of all time, the day of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert in 2010.

More than 825,000 trips were taken that day.

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4:55 p.m.

On his way back from the CIA, President Donald Trump has gotten a first-hand look at the Women's March on Washington.

As the president's motorcade wound through downtown Washington, he passed by hundreds of protesters lining the streets.

Many were holding bright pink signs, and they screamed and chanted as he drove past them in the impossible-to-miss presidential limo. Thousands gathered on the Ellipse are also visible from the White House lawn.

Their roar was also clearly audible to passengers stepping out of the presidential motorcade and back into the White House.

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3:50 p.m.

Federal prosecutors say most of the approximately 230 protesters arrested on Inauguration Day will be charged with felony rioting.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says the offense is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The people who were arrested are appearing in court on Saturday in Washington.

The office says most of those arrested will be released without having to post bail and must return to court in February.

The arrests took place in a four-block stretch of downtown Washington around the time of President Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony.

More details on arrests and charges are expected later Saturday.

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3:45 p.m.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched to President Donald Trump's Manhattan home. They say the new president may be from New York, but he doesn't represent the city.

The Women's March on New York City is one of hundreds around the country staged a day after Trump's inauguration.

It ended on Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower, where the president has conducted nearly all of his post-election business.

It's also where first lady Melania Trump and the couple's young son Barron will live until the end of the school year.

Trump was born and raised in New York City, but the majority of New York voted for Hillary Clinton.

The crowd of jovial New York protesters stretched at least 15 blocks. Some avenues along the route were so clogged that demonstrators couldn't move forward.

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3:20 p.m.

The scene in Washington is getting chaotic as some protesters at the Women's March proceed toward the White House and the Ellipse.

Seas of people are blocking traffic as they walk from the National Mall.

On one street, a police car trying to move got stuck in the crowd. Marchers surrounded a float that had several supporters of President Donald Trump on board and chanted, "shame."

Other marchers were shouting "black lives matter" and "my body, my choice" as they moved along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House.

On the other side of the Mall, rally-goers are headed home. The line to get on the escalator at the Judiciary Square Metro station is half a city block long.

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3:10 p.m.

People arrested in Washington on Inauguration Day are being processed through the city's court system.

Interim D.C. police chief Peter Newsham said Friday that 217 people were being charged with rioting.

A first group of 10 men appeared Saturday in Superior Court just before 3 p.m., and their lawyer entered a not guilty plea on their behalf. A judge released all of them on the condition they not get re-arrested in the District of Columbia.

The arrests Friday came after some protesters created chaos in Washington. Windows of downtown businesses were smashed, and police deployed pepper spray and "sting balls" against the crowd.

On Saturday, a group outside the court chanted "let them go."

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3 p.m.

Madonna says it took "this horrific moment" of Donald Trump's inauguration as president to wake up the United States.

The pop singer used several obscenities during a speech at the Women's March on Washington to emphasize her opposition to Trump. Her comments were carried live on cable television.

She says Saturday's march means "that we are far from the end" and it is the start of a revolution to fight for the right to be free and equal.

Madonna says like-minded Americans need to join together to make it "through this darkness" and show that "we are not afraid, that we are not alone."

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2:50 p.m.

The tens of thousands of people who turned out for the women's march in Chicago have spilled into the city's downtown streets.

Officially, organizers canceled the march portion of the Chicago rally due to overwhelming turnout.

But after the event concluded in Grant Park, people began flooding nearby streets, chanting and waving signs protesting President Donald Trump.

A massive turnout also affected the plans at the march in Washington, where so many people packed the original route along the south side of the National Mall that organizers couldn't lead a formal trek toward White House.

Interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham says on Independence Avenue, "The crowd stretches so far that there's no room left to march."

Instead, march organizers directed the crowd to take a new route to meet up at the Ellipse, a grassy area between the Washington Monument and the White House.

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2:20 p.m.

Organizers of the Women's March on Washington are encouraging attendees to march on their own to the grassy Ellipse near the White House.

The original plan had been for organizers to lead a formal march to the Ellipse, with marchers walking down Independence Avenue along the south side of the National Mall.

But city officials said Saturday that because that route is filled with protesters, a formal march is no longer possible. The crowd of several hundred thousand is still expected to head to the Ellipse.

Organizers are now telling rally-goers from the stage that they should head north toward Constitution Avenue, which runs along the north side of the Mall.

They can then make a right at the Washington Monument to reach the Ellipse.

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1:20 p.m.

A massive turnout at the Women's March on Washington has forced a change of plans. With the entire planned route filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters, organizers can't lead a formal march toward the White House.

That's according to a District of Columbia official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official isn't authorized to speak for the march.

The official says that shortly before 1 p.m., people were standing along the entire march route.

While there will be no formal march led from the protest stage near the Capitol, the crowd is still expected to move toward the Ellipse, an area of the National Mall in front of the White House.

The official says there could be more than half a million people on the Mall, but it's difficult to estimate because low cloud cover is making aerial photographs impossible.

—Ben Nuckols

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12:40 p.m.

So many people have turned out for the Women's March in Chicago that organizers have cancelled their plans to march through the city's downtown.

Instead, they'll extend the ongoing rally on the city's lakefront.

Organizers say far more people than they were initially expecting are at the demonstration in Grant Park along Lake Michigan, and overflow areas are being used.

They say the planned march through downtown Chicago had to be canceled due to public safety concerns, but that the rally has been extended until 12:30 p.m. Central time.

Protesters are still arriving at the rally, many with signs critical of President Donald Trump.

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12:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump is getting a view of the protesters in town for the Women's March from the window of his limo.

Trump's motorcade was on its way back to the White House from a prayer service when he passed several prominent groups of protesters.

As he crossed one intersection, cars started honking loudly.

Some of the protesters held up signs that likened women's rights to human rights. It's a nod to a famous speech that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gave in China as first lady.

Other signs read "We stand with Planned Parenthood."

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11:45 a.m.

Figures from transportation officials in Washington suggest more people may be on the National Mall for the women's march than came for President Donald Trump's inauguration.

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, 275,000 people had taken trips on the city's subway system.

On Inauguration Day, 193,000 trips had been taken as of that time, and the rail system opened an hour earlier that day, at 4 a.m.

Saturday's ridership figures were more than eight times a normal Saturday and busier than most weekdays.

In addition, some 1,800 buses were registered to park in the city. Greyhound reported adding more buses from New York. And a commuter rail system in Washington added five times its normal capacity to help deal with the crowds.

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11:35 a.m.

Filmmaker Michael Moore says he's at the Women's March on Washington "to vow to end the Trump carnage."

Moore is riffing on a phrase from President Donald Trump's inaugural address. Trump said on Friday that he would stop the "American carnage."

Moore is urging attendees to call their members of Congress every day to protest Trump's policies. He says, "we have to get busy."

Moore says those concerned about Trump should join organizations like Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and environmental groups. He says he joined Planned Parenthood on Saturday morning.

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11:25 a.m.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser says the best thing the federal government led by Donald Trump can do is "leave us alone."

Bowser says she's speaking at the Women's March on Washington on behalf of all female elected officials. She says women are more harshly and unfairly criticized at every level of government.

Bowser is appearing at the rally wearing a pointy-eared "pussyhat." She says "we need every woman and every man to speak up for us."

Bowser says in the era of President Trump, Americans must stand up for immigration rights and LGBT rights. She says they also must fight for climate protection and public education.

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11:15 p.m.

Getting to the Women's March on Washington and its sister events around the country is proving a challenge.

Before President Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday morning, Metro subway officials said only two of its parking garages and lots were at more than 60 percent capacity.

On Saturday, many garages and lots at the ends of subway lines were at or near capacity.

In New York, Greyhound had to scramble to get extra buses and drivers for the 3:45 a.m. departure to Washington after a crush of last-minute ticket purchases.

A spokeswoman says they ended up with a total of 18 extra buses, and some couldn't leave until 6:30 a.m. because there weren't enough drivers on site.

In Chicago, trains from the city's suburbs to a downtown march are packed. Officials added trains to their Saturday morning schedule in anticipation of higher-than-usual ridership, but passengers are still reporting standing-room-only trains and crowded platforms.

Some trains are so full they are bypassing scheduled stops.

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10:45 a.m.

"Mr. Trump, you are no Berliner."

That's the message that hundreds of protesters in the German capital are carrying on signs as they rally outside the U.S. Embassy in solidarity with the Women's March in Washington.

The demonstrators are peacefully protesting Trump's presidency on Pariser Platz, next to the landmark Brandenburg Gate.

Other signs include slogans such as "No to sexism," ''Women's rights are human rights," and "Our bodies, our minds, our power."

One of the protesters is Katie Berdett — an American living in Berlin. She says she fears the loss of women's rights under Trump and "for the democracy of our country."

She says, "But at the same time I'm hopeful because there are so many people standing up and rising up and taking part in these demonstrations."

President John F. Kennedy gave a famous speech in Berlin in 1963 when he said he considered himself "a Berliner" — a remark that helped keep up morale in the Western part of the then-divided city.

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10:20 a.m.

Actress America Ferrera says "every single one of us" is under attack by President Donald Trump.

Ferrera is speaking at the start of a rally that is opening the Women's March on Washington. She says people are gathered in the capital and across the country to say to Trump, "We refuse."

The "Ugly Betty" star says the marchers reject demonization of Muslims. She says they also refuse to give up their "right to safe and legal abortions."

Ferrera says the U.S. won't ask LGBT Americans to go backward and won't go from a nation of immigrants to "a nation of ignorance."

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10:10 a.m.

Hillary Clinton is praising those attending the Women's March on Washington.

The former Democratic nominee for president is thanking attendees on Twitter for "standing, speaking and marching for our values." She says it's as "important as ever."

Clinton is also reviving her campaign slogan and says in the tweet she believes "we're always Stronger Together."

Clinton's show of support for the march comes a day after she attended President Donald Trump's inauguration at the U.S. Capitol.

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9:40 a.m.

A city official in Washington says the turnout estimate for the Women's March on the National Mall now stands at 500,000 people. That's more than double the initial predictions.

Kevin Donahue is Washington's deputy mayor for public safety and justice. He says on Twitter that organizers of the march are increasing the turnout estimate to half a million.

There were early signs across Washington that Saturday's crowds could top those that gathered on Friday to watch President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Metro subway stations and train cars are full in many locations, while ridership on Friday was well off the numbers from Barack Obama's first inaugural.

The march's National Park Service permit estimated a turnout of 200,000, but the District of Columbia's homeland security chief had previously predicted turnout would be higher.

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8:55 a.m.

Thousands are massing on the National Mall for the Women's March, and they're gathering, too, in spots around the world.

A couple hundred people rallied in the Czech capital of Prague on Saturday in support of the march.

In Wenceslas Square in freezing conditions, they waved the portraits of President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as well banners that read: "This is just the beginning."

Organizer Johanna Nejedlova says: "We are worried about the way some politicians talk, especially during the American elections." Similar rallies unfolded in London, Berlin, Rome and other cities.

In Copenhagen, Denmark, protesters in the march's trademark pink woolen hats met outside the U.S. Embassy. Says participant Sherin Khankan, "An alternative to the growing hatred must be created."

At a rally in Stockholm, Sweden, organizer Lotta Kuylenstjerna says "we do not have to accept his message," in a reference to Trump.

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8:30 a.m.

Rose Wurm got on her bus at 7 a.m. in Hagerstown, Maryland, ready for the ride to Washington and the Women's March.

The 64-year-old retired medical secretary from Bedford, Pennsylvania, carried two signs. One asks President Donald Trump to stop tweeting. Another asks him to fix ex-President Barack Obama's health care law, rather than get rid of it.

Wurm is riding one of the roughly 1,800 buses that have registered to park in Washington on Saturday. That translates into nearly 100,000 people coming for the march just by bus.

One company has buses coming from more than 200 cities in 26 states. It's using school buses to bring people to the march from Maryland.

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8 a.m.

Look to the National Mall in Washington for lots of bright pink hats and signs that say "less fear more love" and "the future is female."

Thousands of women are set to make their voices heard on the first full day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Organizers of the Women's March on Washington expect more than 200,000 people to attend the gathering.

Other protests are expected in other U.S. cities and around the world.

Rena Wilson came to Washington for the march on Friday from Charlotte, North Carolina. She says she hopes to send the message to Trump that they're "not going anywhere."

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3:05 a.m.

The mission statement of the Women's March on Washington says event participants are "hurting and scared" as Donald Trump takes office — and they want a greater voice for women in political life.

Organizers of Saturday's rally and march expect more than 200,000 people to come out — and that number could rival Trump's swearing-in ceremony Friday.

The event follows a chaotic day in the nation's capital when protesters set fires and hurled bricks in a series of clashes with police.

More than 200 people were arrested.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that in the 11:35 a.m. item, Moore, not Trump, was the speaker.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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