Estimates peg D.C. Women’s March at half million; thousands in Philly, Trenton; hundreds in Del.

Updated: Sat. January 21, 2017, 7:40 p.m.

A massive turnout at the Women’s March on Washington has forced a change of plans. With the entire planned route filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters, organizers can’t lead a formal march toward the White House.

Updated: Sat. January 21, 2017, 7:40 p.m.

WHYY reporters and photographers are in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Trenton, New Jersey; and Newark, Delaware covering the marches. Follow along with the day’s news and events through our Storify below.

Washington, D.C.A city official in Washington says the turnout estimate for the Women’s March on the National Mall now stands at 500,000 people. That’s more than double the initial predictions.

Getting to the Women’s March on Washington is proving a challenge. On Saturday, many garages and lots at the ends of subway lines were at or near capacity.

A massive turnout at the Women’s March on Washington has forced a change of plans. With the entire planned route filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters, organizers can’t lead a formal march toward the White House.

That’s according to a District of Columbia official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official isn’t authorized to speak for the march. The official says that shortly before 1 p.m., people were standing along the entire march route.

While there will be no formal march led from the protest stage near the Capitol, the crowd is still expected to move toward the Ellipse, an area of the National Mall in front of the White House.

The official says there could be more than half a million people on the Mall, but it’s difficult to estimate because low cloud cover is making aerial photographs impossible.

Many at the march couldn’t get close enough to the stage or jumbotron speakers to hear any of the rally’s famous speakers and performers. Some marchers continued past sundown, but those in the 200 busses bound for the Keystone state turned back around 3 p.m.

The organizers’ mission statement says attendees are “hurting and scared” as the new president takes office and want a greater voice for women in political life.

Philadelphia, Pa.Marchers held signs, chanted and sang as they walked slowly down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Saturday in an event being held in solidarity with similar demonstrations taking place in Washington and around the nation.

Organizers called it a demonstration in support of the rights of women and America’s diverse communities following a presidential election in which they say many groups were demonized. They say the marches are intended to unify the diverse communities in an effort to protect the rights of all.

The march started at Logan Square and headed a half-mile down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to hold a rally at Eakins Oval.

Trenton, N.J.Several thousand people have packed the War Memorial in Trenton to take part in a “sister event” to show support for the national Women’s March on Washington.

The diverse crowd cheered loudly as several speakers urged them Saturday to back equal rights for all people and to fight the “Un-American” agenda of Republican President Donald Trump. The crowd estimated at 6,000 people also was urged to remain involved in community rallies and similar events in coming months to show their unity and the strengths of their beliefs.

The event concluded with a vocal march to the nearby New Jersey Statehouse.

Newark, Del.Close to 600 people were expected to attend a sister march to the Women’s March on Washington, in Delaware today.

A candlelight vigil began at 9:00 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark. Marchers departed for the 2.4 mile march beginning at 10:00 a.m. and reassembled at noon for a rally.

Follow along with WHYY reporters, photographers, and readers through our Storify below.

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