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ST. LOUIS — At least 1,000 people marched through downtown Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and what they decried as anti-democratic policies as hundreds of similar protests took place across the U.S.

An initial crowd of a few dozen people quickly multiplied as people gathered in Kiener Plaza park under umbrellas or hooded ponchos. Protesters marched down Market Street to City Hall, then back to Kiener Plaza, repeating chants opposed to anything from immigrant deportations to “fascist USA.�

“We’re seeing the dismantling of our democracy and our government happen right before our eyes,â€� said Lauren Wolfe, 33, of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. “The main thing we as people can do is get loud.â€�

The event was originally organized as a March for Science to oppose federal cuts to research funding. But organizers called it off about an hour before start time due to inclement weather.

People came anyway, either because they unaware of the cancellation, or because they were determined to voice their concerns publicly.

It was one of five protests scheduled for Saturday throughout the region, with two “Tesla takedownsâ€� at the automaker’s dealerships in south ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County and Chesterfield. A couple other protests were planned in St. Charles.

Opponents of the Trump administration took to the streets of several communities across the U.S. Saturday, citing a wide range of concerns, from the detention of Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil to cuts to higher education and research funding.

For Laura Hazelip, 69, Saturday’s protest was the third protest she’d been to in recent weeks.

Hazelip drove to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ from Marthasville on Saturday morning. She said she was worried the country would “go back to being racistâ€� because of the clawing back of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Trump’s “ignoring of the constitutionâ€� also concerned her, she said.

“Everybody needs to hit the streets,� Hazelip said. “Otherwise, you’re just letting it happen.�

Fernando Vigil, a middle school science teacher, held a sign that read “OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON SCIENCE!�

“We’re setting ourselves up for a world where people can’t envision a need for science,� said Vigil, referring to the Trump administration’s cuts of grants to fund scientific research.

There were also strong sentiments among some that the democratic structure of the US never worked, especially for minorities. Members of the local Party for Socialism and Liberation led the protest after several other groups backed out due to the weather.

Angel Flores, a postdoctoral student of US history at ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University, at one point encouraged the crowd to “join the train of socialism.â€�

“United States capitalism is a Cybertruck heading to hell, no matter who drives it,� Flores said during a speech in front of City Hall.

The protest started at 12 p.m. and ended around 1:30 p.m.

There were no arrests or counterprotesters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.