Nearly eight years after the first Women’s March in Washington demonstrated a furious backlash to the election of Donald J. Trump, thousands of women gathered again in the capital and across the country on Saturday, this time with the hope that Vice-President Kamala Harris would triumph at the polls and prevent his return to the White House.

The rally and march, taking place three days before the election, was much smaller than the original in 2017 that drew at least 470,000 people — three times the number of people who had attended Trump’s inauguration the day before. But the mood was far more optimistic, if also somewhat combative.

“We will not go back!” was the rallying cry on Saturday, echoing what has become a signature line for Harris on the campaign trail. While the march was primarily focused on threats to women’s reproductive rights and other liberties, speakers and signs expressed support for a wide array of Democratic and progressive policy positions. Those included gun control, transgender rights and support for Palestinians. The speakers also urged people to vote, and to take others to vote, although many people in the crowd said they had already cast a ballot for Harris.

“I just hope that all these people — not just women, but men — convince a few people to vote and vote the way we want them. Vote for democracy and our rights, reproductive rights,” said Janice Wolbrink, 69.

Wolbrink was joined by her two sisters, each carrying a bright pink sign that read, “Now you’ve pissed off Grandma”. Together, the three of them had 24 grandchildren.

The crowd, gathered at Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, was largely cheerful and optimistic. Many brought their young children and dogs, and a Ben & Jerry’s truck handed out free ice cream. People ran up to take photos of the wittiest signs, like Wolbrink’s, and crowded dozens of booths handing out pins and stickers or selling T-shirts. There were as many Harris-Walz caps as there were pink beanies and plenty of people wearing Harris campaign shirts and apparel.

But some could not hide their apprehension. “I’m nervous because I feel like a lot of the Trump rhetoric around masculinity and being threatened by women and having to fight against women is still really a powerful message,” said Joanna Theiss, 42, with her 8-year-old daughter, Nola, sitting in her lap.

“I feel we should think positive rather than negative,” her mother-in-law, Patty Higgins, 75, said. But she added of Trump, “I just don’t think he’s a very good role model for somebody like Nola.”

New York Times News Service