Portland, Seattle Among Most Well-Attended Women's Marches

By Ryan Haas

Published January 24, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST

By some estimates, nearly 100,000 people attended the Women's March in Portland on Saturday. In Seattle, that number was estimated around 175,000.

While people across the nation turned out for solidarity marches with the Women's March on Washington, western cities saw some of the highest rates in the country.

Researchers Jeremy Pressman of the University of Connecticut and Erica Chenoweth at the University of Denver have compiled estimated numbers for marches around the world. The pair point out they created the list for public interest, rather than any association with the universities.

Not surprisingly, Washington, D.C. — where the movement to protest the policies of the incoming Trump administration originated — had the most well attended march in the nation, according to the data. Around 680,000 people marched there for women's rights, which is more people than actually live in the city.

But western cities were also near the top of the list, when comparing the top 20 most populous cities in the nation.

Denver came in second on that list, and Seattle was No. 3, with a turnout around 25 percent per capita.

Portland, with a population estimated at 632,309 in the latest Census Bureau figures, ranked sixth when compared to the nation's largest cities. Turnout in Portland was just under 16 percent.

The cities with the smallest turnouts were in states that favored President Donald Trump in the election. Those include San Antonio, Texas; Columbus, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida.

Here are the top 20 most populous cities in the nation, plus Portland and Washington, D.C., ranked by turnout per capita:

<div><div style="color: #454545;">Sisay Berta marched with his sisters Ephrata Berta and Bitania Berta.</div></div><div style="color: #454545;"> </div><div style="color: #454545;"><div>"I'm an immigrant. Most of the things he has said, it's against our interest. I've seen people acting differently since his campaign," Sisay said about President Donald Trump during the Women's March on Portland.</div><div> </div><div>Ephrata says the large crowd made her nervous at first, "But everybody started greeting me and they were nice.It makes me feel good that other people care about the same things that I care about. "</div></div> — Sisay Berta marched with his sisters Ephrata Berta and Bitania Berta.

"I'm an immigrant. Most of the things he has said, it's against our interest. I've seen people acting differently since his campaign," Sisay said about President Donald Trump during the Women's March on Portland.

Ephrata says the large crowd made her nervous at first, "But everybody started greeting me and they were nice.It makes me feel good that other people care about the same things that I care about. "

<p>Demonstrators march through the rain at Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators march through the rain at Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>A Portland police officer wearing a "pussyhat" — what has become a symbol of the Women's March — hugs a demonstrator during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — A Portland police officer wearing a "pussyhat" — what has become a symbol of the Women's March — hugs a demonstrator during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Friends Diana Baird, 87, and Kate Robinson, 81, at the Women's March on Portland. Baird said a woman's right to seek an abortion is particularly important to her. "I believe in women's rights, period," she said. The retirees say at least 20 retired women from the Terwilliger Plaza retirement community joined the march Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</span></span></p> — Friends Diana Baird, 87, and Kate Robinson, 81, at the Women's March on Portland. Baird said a woman's right to seek an abortion is particularly important to her. "I believe in women's rights, period," she said. The retirees say at least 20 retired women from the Terwilliger Plaza retirement community joined the march Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<div style="color: #454545;">"She's an environmentalist feminist," Harper's owners said at the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</div> — "She's an environmentalist feminist," Harper's owners said at the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>A girl peers above the crowd at Women's March on Portland Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — A girl peers above the crowd at Women's March on Portland Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<div style="color: #454545;">"Election night was tough for us. We felt it was important for her to do this with her grandma. It was important for us to have a couple generations here," Jesse Cooke said as he carried his 7-month-old daughter Adelaide during the Women's March on Portland.</div><div style="color: #454545;"> </div><div style="color: #454545;"> </div> — "Election night was tough for us. We felt it was important for her to do this with her grandma. It was important for us to have a couple generations here," Jesse Cooke said as he carried his 7-month-old daughter Adelaide during the Women's March on Portland.

<p>Demonstrators gather at Pioneer Place in downtown Portland during the Women's March Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators gather at Pioneer Place in downtown Portland during the Women's March Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>A little boy marching along with his mother, fist bumps a police officer during the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — A little boy marching along with his mother, fist bumps a police officer during the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Young girls carry signs through the streets of Portland during the Women's March Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Young girls carry signs through the streets of Portland during the Women's March Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>A woman pauses to take in the crowd during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — A woman pauses to take in the crowd during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Many signs at the Women's March on Portland feature divisive things President Donald Trump said during his campaign.</p> — Many signs at the Women's March on Portland feature divisive things President Donald Trump said during his campaign.

<p>Demonstrators cross the Morrison Bridge onto Portland's Waterfront for Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators cross the Morrison Bridge onto Portland's Waterfront for Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>An onlooker surveys the crowd on the west side of Portland during the Women's March Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — An onlooker surveys the crowd on the west side of Portland during the Women's March Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>A woman wears a pink bra on her head during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — A woman wears a pink bra on her head during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Demonstrators stand near a spray-painted anti-Trump message on the side of downtown Portland building during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators stand near a spray-painted anti-Trump message on the side of downtown Portland building during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Women dressed in the spirit of famed Russian protest band Pussy Riot stand in unity during the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Women dressed in the spirit of famed Russian protest band Pussy Riot stand in unity during the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>An aerial view of the crowd from the Morrison Bridge during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — An aerial view of the crowd from the Morrison Bridge during the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Demonstrators march through the rain at the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators march through the rain at the Women's March on Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Women hold signs at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Women hold signs at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Demonstrators march through the rain at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators march through the rain at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Demonstrators pour from bridges onto Portland's waterfront at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators pour from bridges onto Portland's waterfront at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Demonstrators pour off the Morrison Bridge to the Portland waterfront for the Women's March on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstrators pour off the Morrison Bridge to the Portland waterfront for the Women's March on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Members of the March Fourth Marching Band demonstrate downtown in Portland for the Women's March.</p> — Members of the March Fourth Marching Band demonstrate downtown in Portland for the Women's March.

<p>Demonstraters march at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Demonstraters march at Women's March Portland on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.

<p>Rain-soaked signs pile up near a public trashcan after the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.</p> — Rain-soaked signs pile up near a public trashcan after the Women's March on Portland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.