News & Politics

DC Demonstrations and Protests Planned Around Trump’s Second Inauguration

From the People's March to a Trump victory rally, here are the biggest events planned.

Workers install barricades on the National Mall on January 5, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Women’s March in 2017 drew a bigger crowd than Donald Trump’s first inauguration, which was overshadowed by other protests in DC as well. Trump’s convincing victory last year has taken a lot of the air out of the #Resistance that greeted his first term. But that doesn’t mean the streets will be empty for his second inaugural.

Here, from National Park Service records and other reports, is a list of demonstrations and protests planned for the days that surround Inauguration Day. They’re all events at which organizers say they expect more than 1,500 attendees:

Saturday, Jan. 18: The People’s March on Washington. Organizers told the Park Service they expect 50,000 people at Freedom Plaza and the Washington Monument grounds. The Women’s March (whose 2017 rally reportedly drew around 470,000 people) is one of the many organizers of the event, which will kick off at 10 AM at Farragut Square, McPherson Square, and Franklin Park, then culminate at the Lincoln Memorial.

Sunday, January 19: A Trump “victory rally” is planned for Capital One Arena at 3PM. You can register here.

Monday, January 20: The Answer Coalition’s National Day of Action starts at 11 AM at Malcolm X Park/Meridian Hill Park. There will be a rally and then a march, a spokesperson tells Washingtonian.

Monday, January 20: The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network’s MLK Day 2025 demonstration will begin at McPherson Square at 10:30 AM, then march to Metropolitan AME Church (1518 M Street, Northwest) at noon. The organizers tell NPS they expect 1,500 people.

Friday, January 24: The National March for Life will stage its annual rally at the Washington Monument grounds at noon, with a march along Constitution Avenue and around the US Capitol to the Supreme Court at 1 PM. Organizers told NPS they expect 150,000 people. House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke at last year’s march.

Senior editor

Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.

Lydia Wei
Editorial Fellow