Hundreds of marches were planned around the world Saturday to coincide with Earth Day in an effort to promote science-based public policy.
Dubbed the “March for Science,” the demonstrations come at a time when President Donald Trump has talked about making deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The plan for the Earth Day marches began with scientists on social media saying they felt their field was under fire with some of the policies put forth by the Trump administration. They started to plan a few demonstrations, and it slowly grew into hundreds of rallies being organized around the world in every continent.
There are more than 600 rallies planned around the globe in more than 60 countries Saturday, but perhaps the biggest marches are taking place in Washington D.C. and in New York City. Thousands of science advocates and enthusiasts are joining together to defend and celebrate science, or to push back on budgets proposed by Trump for federal agencies that are tasked with funding scientific research.
Watch a stream of the events in the video below:
Once the marches conclude, the organizers of the event will continue to promote a “Week of Action” from April 23-29. It’s a week in which people are encouraged to “promote daily actions that serve (March for Science’s) mission for supporters around the world to engage in together.”
Here are some of the photos and videos from Saturday’s worldwide demonstrations:
Demonstrators In New York City Got an Early Start Saturday Morning
The Crowd In NYC Was Estimated to be In the ‘Tens of Thousands’
One Cancer Survivor In NYC Held a Sign to Show Her Support for Science
A Rain-Soaked Day In Washington D.C. Couldn’t Stop Demonstrators From Advocating In the National Mall
Some Demonstrators Made Ironic, Humorous Signs to Show Their Support for the Cause
Demonstrations Took Place All Over Europe
People Gathered In Australia to Show Their Support for Science