‘Thanks to the EPA This Isn’t Acid Rain’: The March for Science in Washington, D.C.

Lauryn Gutierrez
Marchers cheered at the start of the March for Science. Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny, age 9, known as "Little Miss Flint" (center, in black sweatshirt), helped to lead the march.

In her remarks at the rally prior to the march, Copeny spoke of the Flint water crisis: "My family and my neighbors knew something was wrong. But our state didn't want to believe in science." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
This group of parents chanted: "Clean air, clean water, for our sons and for our daughters!" Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Bill Nye (wearing red bowtie), known for his PBS show, titled Bill Nye, the Science Guy, spoke at the rally prior to the march. He served as a banner-bearer during the march and led the crowd in cheering, "America's founders loved science!" Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
The #NoBanNoWall movement had a presence at the March for Science. People held signs that read, "Science has no borders" and "Einstein was a refugee." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Signs that commented on President Trump's frequent visits to his Florida waterfront property Mar-a-Lago were prolific at Saturday's march: "If you flew to Mar-a-Lago, thank an engineer." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
"Thanks to the [Environmental Protection Agency], this isn't acid rain," read one sign. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Many children showed their support for science at the march. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
The March for Science banner-bearers reached the end of the march at the U.S. Capitol. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Hundreds of signs at the March for Science read "I'm With Her" to declare commitment to protecting "Mother Earth." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
The lead marchers paused in front of the U.S. Capitol before dispersing across Capitol grounds. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
This marcher carried a reminder of the environmental injustices still ongoing across the United States. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Two dinosaurs participated in the march to make a point about the danger of "alternative facts." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
A "mad scientist" observed the rain-soaked crowd outside the U.S. Capitol. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
"We're nerds, we're wet, we're really, really upset!" echoed around the U.S. Capitol as advocates reached the end of the march's route. Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
"I'm supposed to be fighting disease, not the government." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
Marchers chanted:
"What do we want?"
—"SCIENCE!"
"When do we want it?"
—"After peer review!" Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
The March for Science's mission states that "science should neither serve special interests nor be rejected based on personal convictions. At its core, science is a tool for seeking answers." Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire
At the event's end, some marchers weren't ready to go home, so an impromptu dance circle lead by people in lab coats formed as onlookers cheered, "Science, not hate, makes America great!" Lauryn Gutierrez/Rewire

On a soggy Saturday, thousands of people gathered to march in a “celebration of science.”

Held on Earth Day, the March for Science was a nonpartisan event, as anti-science policies from both sides of the aisle “harm everyone,” the organizers stated on their website.

Under the Trump administration, scientific agencies are expecting to see severe funding cuts, while research data has disappeared from public government websites. President Trump’s appointment of climate-change denier Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was of particular concern to marchers, as hundreds of people carried signs denouncing Pruitt’s appointment. Some also celebrated the work of the EPA—one woman stood holding a sign that read, “Thanks to the EPA this isn’t acid rain” as umbrella-bearing marchers streamed by her.

Bill Nye, known for his 1990s children’s television show Bill Nye, the Science Guy, helped lead the march from the Washington Monument down Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Capitol. Following the march, Nye remarked, “Science is in the U.S. Constitution. It should shape our policy. It always has, and it will again. But right now, [this march] just shows you how concerned people are.”