They descended on Place des Arts equipped with poster-board signs, pink hats and powerful messages.
“Look at what we’ve done in the last year,” said Claire Desjardins.”There’s been a lot of craziness coming from that office in Washington and I think there’s been a lot of voices heard to combat the ideas that have been coming out of there.
“Let’s not lose that. Let’s not lose the ground that we’ve gained.”
Last year, thousands of demonstrators gathered in downtown Montreal in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
READ MORE: Thousands converge on Place des Arts for Women’s March in Montreal
Since then, the protest movement has gained momentum.
Themes for this year’s demonstration were the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which have denounced sexual assault and harassment.
READ MORE: BLOG: #MeToo Should I feel guilty about being silent for too long?
“As long as there is systemic sexism and there are barriers, we should keep coming out,” said Fiona Murray.
Women’s rights, gender equality and social justice were just some of the issues brought to the forefront during Saturday’s rally.
Many say, it’s crucial to keep the conversation going.
“I think once the ball starts rolling, it’s not going to stop, so we need to keep pushing it,” said Zoe Richards.
“I think marching is the most important because it shows the world that there are masses that believe in these issues.”
Women weren’t the only ones demonstrating.
READ MORE: Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes, other Hollywood women form anti-harassment coalition
For many men, like James McCarney, it was important to be here.
He said he wants his two-year-old daughter to know that it’s never too early to have a voice.
“I think it’s important that my daughter learns early on in life that if she feels like she wants to do something or wishes to rise above that, she can pursue that,” said McCarney.
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