A year after the Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches made headlines around the world, millions returned to the streets once again for the second annual demonstration.

The 2017 Women’s March was organized in response to the election of President Trump. Although the event was expected to be quite small, it became the largest mass demonstration in United States history with an estimated 4.6 million participants. There were 673 marches in 82 countries on every continent (yes, including Antarctica!)

On the weekend of January 20th, 2018, the Women’s March in Las Vegas and its sister marches across the country showed that resistance against the Trump administration has hardly died down. An estimated 1.5 million people participated in this year’s march.

The Philadelphia demonstration went from Logan Square to Eakins Oval, in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Participants stood and listened to the 28 speakers and performers on stage. Roughly 50,000 people showed up in Philadelphia, around the same number as last year.  

In addition to protesting the Trump administration and its policies, the Women’s March aimed to increase voter turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, encourage women to run for office, and shed light on the #TimesUp movement, created by Hollywood celebrities to combat sexual harassment.

The 2018 Women’s March also aimed to be more inclusive, as the rallies were criticized last year for their lack of intersectionality. There were 28 speakers in Philadelphia with topics ranging from racial equality and immigration reform to healthcare and reproductive rights.

There were widespread rumors of the Women’s March on Philadelphia collaborating with the Philadelphia Police Department for security checkpoints and random searches, discouraging immigrants and minorities from attending. However, these online rumors were quickly disproven. Once again, the demonstrations were overwhelmingly peaceful and welcoming.

The marchers waved flags in solidarity with Puerto Rico and other countries affected by the recent hurricanes. Speakers in Las Vegas honored the victims of last year’s deadly mass shooting. Victims of sexual assault came forward with their stories. All of these people shed light on issues facing the world and called for solutions they feel are desperately needed.

“[W]e will no longer allow the rights and interests of women… to be disregarded,” said Emily Cooper Morse, organizer of the Philadelphia Women’s March. “We persist. One year after the largest demonstration in the history of the world, we continue to speak up and remind everyone we will not be silenced.”