WASHINGTON -- Thousands of people have gathered in sweltering heat in the nation's capital to demand more action to fight climate change and protect the environment.

Saturday's demonstration in Washington coincided with similar protests around the country in what is being called the People's Climate March.

Demonstrators in Washington started their march near the Capitol and slowly made their way to the White House.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio marches with a group of indigenous people from North and South America, during the People's Climate March in Washington DC, on April, 29, 2017. Afp / AFP/Getty Images

In Boston, protesters rallied at the Boston Common on Saturday afternoon.

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Organizers and participants focused on how climate change affects all communities, including marginalized groups. Protesters carried signs that read: "We won't go back," ''Science Trump's Ignorance," and "Dump Trump."

Thousands rally for climate, jobs and justice on Boston Common. Doug Cope/WBZ News Radio 1030

Bethel AME Church Rev. Mariama White-Hammond told the crowd "there is no Planet B."

In Denver, people and a few snowmen held signs in Civic Center Park across from city hall during a rally after marching near the state Capitol. About a dozen people rode stationary bikes to power the loudspeakers.

Some booed when a speaker noted the Trump milestone but the overall mood was laid back.

Beth Phuxster (L) of Denver, Colorado, dressed as Mother Nature, and Allison Otto (R) dressed as a yeti, hold signs while participating in the People's Climate March during a spring snow storm in Denver, Colorado on April 29, 2017. Jason Connolly / AFP/Getty Images

Fifty-eight-year-old Bobbie Richardson says she traveled from a mountain community about 30 miles away partly because she was afraid some others would not come because of the weather.

The protests coincide with President Donald Trump's 100th day in office and take aim at his environmental policies.

On Friday, a federal appeals court postponed a ruling on lawsuits challenging provisions of former President Barack Obama's plan to reduce emissions from power plants.

The Environmental Protection Agency sought to put the legal fight on hold after Trump signed an executive order to roll back the plan.

CBSN Originals recently returned to Erie, Pennsylvania to reconnect with locals who hoped a fresh approach in Washington would bring about change in their struggling home town. Airing on May 21 at 8 p.m. EST, "America | Redefining Hope" looks at how that hope has evolved.



