DC March for Science

April 22nd 2017

One of several hundred marches around the world, the March for Science in DC attracted about 20,000 participants despite a steady rain. People packed the Mall around the Washington Monument in the morning to listen to speakers and entertainers before marching off to the Capitol in the afternoon. Before the rally, teach-ins were held in tents erected SW of the Monument. That was the only shelter when the rain started. Many retreated to nearby restaurants to refuel and dry out before returning to the rally. People brought their own signs, most of which were not rain-proof. Instead of a sea of signs in front of the stage, one saw a sea of umbrellas, with a few signs sticking up like the occasional flower in a desert. In order to emphasize that science was nonpartisan, elected officials were not invited to speak. However, many of the home-made signs had an anti-Trump theme. The Monument square was declared a security zone; everyone had to go through a bag check to get in.