The 2018 Women’s March took place on the morning Jan. 20, bringing thousands together to protest and march in major cities like New York, Washington D.C. and more across the country, including Denver. People gathered downtown to hear music, organizations and guest speakers like Mayor Michael Hancock speak before getting onto the marching route around 9:30 a.m.

Local turnout was lower than the original event last year (estimated around 50,000 people rather than 100,000), but the march still attracted people of all ages, races and genders to Civic Center Park, many bearing pink hats and creative signs calling attention to a wide range of issues.

While most attended in general support of female empowerment and equality, others took to the streets with messages on abortion, sexual assault, the environment, health care, immigration reform and more. Some were distinctly anti-Trump or directly calling out state and local representatives. More so than last year, there were huge pushes for political action, with petitioners and voter registration volunteers scattered across the city. Chants rang through crowds of empowered people, the most Coloradan of which joked about Trump and Pence skiing in jeans.

Despite the lower turnout, morale remained high for Denverites who marched amidst a government shutdown, controversial movements like #MeToo and a generally unstable political and social climate.