Kaila White

The Republic | azcentral.com

At least 36,000 people turned out in downtown Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff on Saturday to march in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington.

Ten marches occurred in Arizona cities and towns Saturday, among hundreds around the nation and world. Local law enforcement officials said more than 20,000 people participated in Phoenix, 15,000 in Tucson and 1,200 in Flagstaff, which faced a snowstorm the night before. None reported any violence or arrests.

The other Arizona sister marches were held in Prescott, Sedona, Jerome, Gold Canyon, Green Valley, Bisbee and Ajo. Yuma will hold a march later.

The marchers demonstrated in support of federal protections and rights for women, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, the LGBT community and other minorities.

RELATED:Women's March on Washington: How it looked in D.C. and around the nation and the world

"This is the first time in a long time I've had hope," said Adam Hall, 41, of Ahwatukee, who attended the Phoenix march with his wife and two daughters. “To see hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people, whether it be in Washington, D.C., or Phoenix, or Berlin, there's more of us and that gives me hope.”

All smiles in Phoenix

The day began with people laughing, taking photos and comparing handmade signs reading, among other things, “respect existence or expect resistance” and “nyet my president,” a nod to President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.

Although the march did not explicitly condemn Trump, many of the signs criticized him, particularly his statements about groping women’s genitals.

Organizers had expected about 5,000 to attend. The surprising size of the crowd became evident before the event began, when a mass of people enveloped a drum circle booming right by the front door to the state Senate.

"This is a generator of activism. It gets people excited about showing what they believe in," said Lynne Avril, a 65-year-old from Phoenix who is the illustrator for the young Amelia Bedelia series. "This is the heart of the American people right here."

Emphasis on inclusion

State Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, was the first to take the stage, talking about the importance of intersectional feminism, which is inclusive of all races, ethnicities, religions and abilities.

The crowd quickly grew frustrated with their inability to hear, an unexpected problem since the march’s organizers anticipated a quarter of the number of people who showed up. The microphone was connected to only two small speakers.

“I am living proof America is already great because of the immigrants here,” said speaker Ellie Perez, who said she is the first "dreamer" to work for the city of Phoenix.

The march began at about 11:15 a.m., although progress was slow due to the number of people. In some areas, the crowd was packed so closely together that it was nearly impossible to move. Marchers inched south to Jefferson Street while rock band the Chevaliers played and bubbles floated over the crowd. Many said they were thankful for the unexpected sunny weather with temperatures in the 50s.

Participants marched from the Capitol south to Jefferson, east to 15th Avenue, north to Monroe Street, west to 17th Avenue and back to the Capitol.

Meskerem Glegziabher, 31, of Phoenix, said she has been to many rallies and events in Arizona over the past few years and this was by far the largest she'd seen.

"Hopefully everyone who's geared up will continue to turn out," she said. "It's very encouraging."

Following the march, speakers resumed, beginning with U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who was among dozens of lawmakers who skipped Trump's inauguration.

"We are here to reaffirm our belief that America, at its core, is good," he said. "Do not, at any point, believe that you are alone."

Disability-rights activist Jennifer Longdon spoke about the difficulties people with disabilities face, and the fact that their voices have been missing from many conversations during and after the election.

"Disability is not the worst thing in the world that can happen to a person. Being erased from society is," she said. "Every issue that you touch is a disability-rights issue."

She and many others noted that, moments after Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, the White House website was overhauled to remove pages dedicated to disabilities, civil rights, and LGBT issues.

One of the most popular statements from the speakers came from Jodi Liggett, Planned Parenthood's vice president of public affairs, who said twice that "Planned Parenthood prevents more abortions than any picketer, preacher or politician ever has and ever will."

New Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes beseeched audience members to run for office, noting how many positions are open at the local government level, including school boards. He also announced a goal for his four years as recorder: to increase the number of registered voters in Maricopa County from 2.2 million to 3 million, garnering cheers from the audience.

It was a "day of hope and optimism," said House Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, adding that "we will not be silenced. ... We are the noisy minority."

'Very nice protest'

The crowd dispersed after speeches ended, leaving only a few hundred listening to live music and stoppping by informational tables. The Planned Parenthood of Arizona table was completely out of fliers and swag due to a constant flood of people all day who wanted to sign up to support or volunteer.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Capt. Ed Sharpensteen confirmed that there were no fights or incidents of violence. No counterprotesters were visibly in attendance, and the only issue was a lack of bathrooms.

"It was a very nice protest. Everybody was very polite," Sharpensteen said.

He said the crowd numbered at least 20,000 and could have been more, but he said but the agency did not have a clear enough aerial shot to offer an accurate number.

"I am amazed at the turnout, especially in a red state on a rainy day," said Cassie Chilton, interim chairwoman for Stronger Together AZ, a progressive organization formerly known as the Arizona chapter of Pantsuit Nation.

"At a time when our country is so incredibly divided, to see so many people from different walks of life standing together, I think, is one of the most powerful things and what our country needs right now," she said.