Huge crowds took part in various Women's Marches at the weekend to protest against the election of Donald Trump, and now the new president has issued his response. Using his personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, rather than the official @POTUS one, the 70-year-old called into question whether those taking part in the demonstrations had voted in November's election.
"Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election!" he wrote on Sunday morning. "Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly."
President Donald Trump has responded to the Women's Marches
A few hours later, he posted another tweet acknowledging the public's right to protest, as protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
"Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy," he wrote. "Even if I don't always agree, I recognise the rights of people to express their views."
Madonna was among the stars who took part in the Washington rally
Although Mr Trump received the necessary number of electoral votes needed to win November's election, his opponent Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, with 65.8million votes, compared to Donald's 63million, CNN reported.
Organisers of Saturday's protests, which were held in a number of American towns and cities, have said nearly five million people took part in the movement. The demonstrators were seeking to raise awareness for women's and minority rights, and a large number of celebrities, including Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron, Madonna and Blake Lively, attended.
Thousands of people took to the streets of the American capital on Saturday to protest
It has also been claimed that the Women's March on Washington drew larger crowds than had turned out for Friday's inauguration. Experts told the New York Times that the Washington protest had three times more people than the swearing in ceremony, with at least 470,000 protestors descending on the nation's capital. The inauguration, meanwhile, brought in approximately 160,000 people. An official count is yet to be released.
