At LA Women's March, Viola Davis, Scarlett Johansson rally crowd

Celebrities like Viola Davis and Scarlett Johansson rallied thousands of people here to march in protest against President Donald Trump.

Coming a year after Trump's inauguration, the Los Angeles Women's March was one of many held coast-to-coast, including at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, reports variety.com.

The event here was a star-studded event, drawing the likes of Eva Longoria, Marisa Tomei and Natalie Portman.

People clutched handmade signs that read "Grab 'em by the midterms", "This is my resisting bitch face" and "Voting is the best revenge". Many participants wore pink hats as a counter-symbol to Trump's lewd remarks of "grabbing women by the p***y".

This year's march comes amidst the #MeToo movement, which has been about highlighting sexual harassment at the hands of powerful individuals.

In between musical performances by Idina Menzel, Rachel Platten, and others, celebrities took to the main stage, where they delivered fiery speeches criticizing Trump, specifically over his immigration policies.

Johansson, who was representing the Time's Up campaign, said that in recent months, she had begun examining why sexual harassment so frequently happens to women.

Of her own behaviour, she said she had previously felt the need to be polite to the powerful in order to get along.

"It allowed me to have the approval that women are conditioned to need," she said. But no longer.

Stressing that her new motto is about "no more pandering", she said she would no longer feel guilt or shame over rebuffing men who behave inappropriately towards her.

Academy Award-winning actress Davis, called on protesters to become politically active and to put pressure on the government to work for all.

Other celebrities who made appearances on the rally stage included Allison Janney, Tony Goldwyn, Elizabeth Banks, Adam Scott, Mary Steenburgen and husband Ted Danson, Sarah Hyland, Mila Kunis, Eva Longoria, and Rob Reiner.

--IANS

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