One year into Trump’s term, the Women’s March returns

MEGAN THOMPSON:

Thousands gathered this morning on Manhattan's upper west side for the second women's march on New York City. Katherine Siemionko is one of the march organizers.

KATHERINE SIEMIONKO:

Women demand equality and we are not going to stop using our voices until we get it.

MEGAN THOMPSON:

Last year's marches were one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history Today, marchers are drawing attention to a variety of concerns.

JENNIFER OVERTON:

Climate change being denied.

NEAL ASCHER:

The way corruption and the way dishonesty is rampant throughout the administration.

JONAH BECK:

I think transgender people, lgbt people should be a protected class. I think they should be protected by the law against discrimination.

MEGAN THOMPSON:

For Chaimaa Cheref of Brooklyn, the top issue is sexual violence, exposed recently by the "Me Too" and "Time's Up" movements.

CHAIMAA CHEREF:

I think this is a very important time where we take back our bodies and our rights and show men why it's not acceptable to touch us without our consent and permission.

MEGAN THOMPSON:

But Cheref – an immigrant from Algeria – also has concerns about too little diversity at the march.

CHAIMAA CHEREF:

I think what's lacking in the feminist movement currently is a lot of minority women.

MEGAN THOMPSON:

March organizers say they've taken steps to make this year's events more inclusive, including increasing diversity among the march leadership. Another big focus today – voter registration.

This year, activists say their focus is on the midterm elections. The theme today is "march into action" and activists say their goal here and across the country is to register 1 million women to vote before november.

New York's march was one of around 250 events in the U.S and around the world. In Rome, hundreds gathered to show support for the movement. And here in the U.S., protesters converged from cost to coast, in Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver and Washington, D.C.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND:

this is our moment to stand tall, to fight back and to be heard!

MEGAN THOMPSON:

Even though President Trump was often the target at today's protests, he did tweet: "Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!"

Tomorrow in Las Vegas, the organizers of last year's women's march in Washington, will hold a rally called "power to the polls" – the first of several events to mobilize women to vote – and even run – in elections this fall.