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March for Science draws thousands of people to Oakland

PITTSBURGH — Organizers said thousands of people participated in the March for Science on Saturday in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

The march started around noon at Bigelow Boulevard in Oakland and circled the Cathedral of Learning.

PHOTOS: March for Science in Oakland

Organizer Alex Austin said the message is simple: Science is important.

“It started out first with ... a couple hundred people interested on Facebook, and then over the last month it really blew up with 4,000-5,000 people on the Facebook page either liking it or wanting to be involved with it,” Austin said.

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Austin promoted the march to students at Winchester Thurston School on Friday, and several students said they planned to attend.

Austin said the march is important for the community.

“Because the new administration coming in has made drastic proposals to (cut) science funding education and K-12, it’s really important that we stand up and fight back as a community and let it be known that scientists aren’t just going to stand there and take it,” he said.

Kristen Bertsch brought her three daughters from Monongahela to participate.

"Science is a part of everyday life and for an administration to deny that it exists or it's findings is -- especially in our day and age -- it's just completely unacceptable," Bertsch said.

Protesters said the Trump administration isn't doing enough to combat climate change and they oppose proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.

University of Pittsburgh and city police were prepared for the crowd. Bigelow Boulevard between Forbes and Fifth avenues was closed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. There were also rolling road closures as participants marched around the Cathedral of Learning.