Organizers for the second annual March for Science in Washington, D.C., apparently struggled to attract the record-setting crowds that showed up for the inaugural event shortly after President Donald Trump became president.
More than 100,000 activists and opponents of Trump’s climate agenda descended on D.C. in April of 2017 for the first ever March for Science rally. Organizers at this year’s march were unable to draw anywhere the same level of excitement for the rally on the National Mall.
The march, which took place on a warm Saturday compared to the cold weather marchers endured at last year’s event, pulled in an estimated 10,000 climate activists and anti-Trump protesters, spokeswoman Koren Temple Perry told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
More than 200,000 people showed up for the first March for Science, according to reports from organizers at the initial march. They initially expected between 50,000 and 100,000 activists to take part. More than 375 satellite marches were held around the United States and even more around the world, from Manila to Amsterdam.
Much of the fervor was a result of the Trump administration rolling back former President Barack Obama’s environmental legacy, particularly the so-called Clean Power Plan. Activists who attended the 2017 event were also upset at Trump’s disregard for those concerned about man-made global warming.
Democrats still attempted to make hay with the 2018 march, even if it paled in comparison to 2017’s. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee urge activists present at the march’s many rallies to turn out and vote against Trump and his ilk.
“For the love of science, get out there and march! Then, VOTE these ignorant climate change-deniers out of office,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted on Twitter Friday. The tweet featured a video of President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt expressing doubts about man-made climate change.
Some of the marchers who attended both events noticed the dramatic decline in interest.
“There definitely aren’t as many people present this year, but the people and speakers here are equally as passionate to help advocate for science,” Mackenzie Mittleman, who attended the march for a second year, told CNN Saturday following the march.
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