Women's March 2019 to take place in San Diego, across U.S. today

SAN DIEGO - The third annual Women's March will take place in dozens of cities across the country on Saturday, Jan. 19, including Waterfront Park in San Diego.

The inaugural marches sprang up as a response to President Donald Trump's January 2017 inauguration and drew millions of marchers across the U.S. and around the world. Political scientists from the universities of Connecticut and Denver estimated that it was the single largest march in U.S. history.

This year's marches come under the controversial specter of comments made recently by Women's March co-founder and co-chair Tamika Mallory. The organization has been criticized for its association with Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the black nationalist Nation of Islam. Mallory, in a recent appearance on The View, skirted a question volleyed by Meghan McCain about whether she condemns Farrakhan's various anti-Semitic statements, such as when he declared "the powerful Jews are my enemy'' and warned of satanic Jews during his 2018 Saviour's Day address.

"In regard to issues concerning antisemitism, Women's March San Diego does not condone language or actions from any person or group that target, disparage, denigrate, threaten, or harm another person or group,'' the Women's March San Diego Executive Board said in a statement, noting that the San Diego chapter is separate from the main organization. "Since our inception, Women's March San Diego has oriented our mission of harnessing the political power of diverse women and their communities toward creating transformative social change.''

The 2019 Women's March is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Waterfront Park, located at 1600 Pacific Highway. San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, City Attorney Mara Elliott and state Sen. Toni Atkins are among the myriad speakers and public figures expected to attend this year's march.