Canadians across the country gathered on January 23 to protest Stephen Harper’s prorogation of Parliament. From St John’s to Vancouver, thousands of people stood up against what they see as an abuse of power by the Prime Minister.

Rally turnout reporting varied across the media. Estimates for total numbers ranged from around 18 000 to 27 000 people. The Globe & Mail reported 25 000 attendees. The Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament Facebook group has over 220 000 members as of January 30.

The real question now is, did the rallies affect change? And if not, what’s the next step to take? Some protest organizers have established planning committees to do just that. Only time will tell if the momentum from the rallies will be maintained.

For more photographs, check out Distinctly Canadian, a Flickr page dedicated to the rallies.