London (CNN)Crowds of people are marching Saturday in the United States and around the world
in support of science and evidence-based research in a protest fueled
by opposition to President Donald Trump's environmental and energy
policies.
Besides the main
march in Washington, organizers said more than 600 "satellite" marches
were due to take place globally in a protest timed to coincide with Earth Day.
The march, whose beginnings reflect the viral birth of the Women's March on Washington,
has been billed by its organizers as political but nonpartisan. The
event's website describes it as "the first step of a global movement to
defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies and
governments."
"I
think there has been a declining sense of what science means to
progress. I think we take so much for granted," said march honorary
co-chair Lydia Villa-Komaroff ahead of the event.
Demonstrators in Australia kicked off the day of protest.
In
Sydney, marchers carried banners, many homemade, with slogans such as
"Science makes sense," "Science-based policy = stuff that works," and
"Climate change is real, clean coal is not." Another placard displayed
the message, "Governments: stop ignoring inconvenient science!"
Chant for evidence-based science
It wasn't only major cities where scientists and their supporters came out.
Rebecca McElroy, an
astrophysics doctoral student at the University of Sydney, tweeted video
of a "mini march for science" around the dome of the Anglo-Australian
Telescope in New South Wales.
Demonstrators also turned out in New Zealand cities, including Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch.
New Zealand Green Party
co-leader James Shaw tweeted a popular chant from the marchers: "What do
we want? Evidence-based science! When do we want it? After peer
review!"
Marches were also held in Durban and Cape Town, South Africa, and in Tokyo.
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