Thousands in the Tampa Bay area marched in downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday, part of the Women's Marches across the globe that coincided with the massive rally in Washington.
- Women's March held downtown St. Petersburg from noon-3 p.m.
- RELATED: Lakeland group in Washington for Women's March
The St. Pete women's march has officially kicked off @BN9 pic.twitter.com/uI572QUNsZ
— lauren verno (@laurenverno) January 21, 2017
Officials said Saturday afternoon that the turnout exceeded expectations, a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president.
Linked arm and arm, thousands marched down the streets of St. Petersburg on Saturday with a common theme -- but not necessarily for one issue. The signs varied as much as the groups of people who were marching.
Some said they were marching for their mothers and daughters; others, for peace.
Thousands marching here in St.Petersburg. Live report at 5pm on @BN9 pic.twitter.com/bFAgSDMEYt
— lauren verno (@laurenverno) January 21, 2017
Among the thousands marching in unity, one man stood out.
Standing on the side of the parade, Tyler Prince stood quietly holding a Trump flag.
"The irony and the hate, and the bullied messages that come back towards me. They say that 'Love trumps Hate. It's hilarious,'" Prince said.
The walk was about 1.3 miles long and wrapped up around 3 p.m., beginning and ending at Bayshore Drive and 1st Avenue South.
There were estimates of somewhere between 20,000 to 25,000 people attending Saturday's rally, but with people joining during the march, that number was still unclear.