200,000 Rally at Women's March in New York

Hundreds of thousands of energized but peaceful protesters hit New York streets on Saturday in a march for women's rights on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The New York march, which started in front of the Trump International Hotel & Tower by Central Park, was among more than 200 planned for the weekend around the world.

Participants, many wearing pink cat-ear hats, rallied on Central Park West and Columbus Circle before the march that concluded on Sixth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Police organized elbow-to-elbow participants behind metal barriers that reached into offshoot streets along the park, guiding them in groups toward the march downtown. But the crowds were so thick that officers started turning people away at certain entry points, telling them to try farther north. Subway stations were packed.

Sharon Linnea was at the front of the march with her 20-year-old daughter.

"What brings me here today is the fact that I don't want my daughter to grow up in a country devoid of compassion," she said. "When I was growing up it was all about taking care of each other and now that's becoming illegal."

Meg Roebling, 48, came because of the recent wave of sexual assault allegations — including more than one hundred women who say they were abused by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

"The anger is really palpable — especially with the headlines today with that gymnastics coach. It's really just disgusting, disgusting all around," Roebling said.

Some said this was not the first time they've taken to the streets to protest social issues. Marlene Cintron, 66, says she was a part of the women's liberation movements in the 1960s and '70s, and said this new wave of activism is giving her hope.

"The sisterhood is not as strong as it used to be," she said. "And I think this is all us waking up again, saying OK, if we do it, and we do it right and we do it together, everybody wins."

Organizers said participated because basic rights for women, immigrants and others are under attack. Among the goals of this year's march were getting more Democrats to run for public office and bolstering voter registration.

Earlier Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke at the Women's March Breakfast hosted by the New York City Bar Association.

"We have seen tremendous aggression and discrimination against women over this past year," Cuomo said. "We have a federal government that's looking to roll back women's rights all across the board - roll back a woman's right to choose, roll back contraceptive care, roll back insurance coverage for reproductive rights."

Cuomo said the Republican president "fundamentally disrespects women."

With reports from the Associated Press.