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POP diva Madonna made an unannounced stage appearance in Washington today as hundreds of thousands of people rallied for women's rights in defiance of President Donald Trump - and joked about blowing up the White House.

"Welcome to the revolution of love," she said as she took the stage, wrapping up hours of speeches by celebrities and rights activists.

"To the rebellion. To our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny," she added.

 Madonna performs during the Women's March on Washington today
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Madonna performs during the Women's March on Washington todayCredit: AP:Associated Press

She also addressed the protest’s critics, telling them "f*** you" and told supporters she has had fantasies about destroying Trump's new home.

“Yes, I have thought a lot about blowing up the White House… but I choose love,” Madonna said.

Wearing pink, pointy-eared hats to mock the new president, hundreds of thousands of women took to the streets in the nation's capital and cities around the world today to send Donald Trump an emphatic message that they won't let his agenda go unchallenged over the next four years.

 She told marchers that she had fantasies about destroying the White House
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 She told marchers that she had fantasies about destroying the White House

Actress-turned-activist Ashley Judd joined in with Madonna's foul-mouthed rant against the new president.

The visibly angry Hollywood star recited a poem written by a 19-year-old from Tennessee.

She said: "I feel Hitler in these streets, a moustache traded for a toupee."

 Ashley Judd turned the air blue as she joined in with Madonna's foul-mouthed rant against Donald Trump
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Ashley Judd turned the air blue as she joined in with Madonna's foul-mouthed rant against Donald TrumpCredit: AP:Associated Press

Referencing Donald Trump's infamous attack on rival candidate Hillary Clinton, she continued: "I am a nasty woman. I'm not as nasty as a man who looks like he bathes in Cheeto dust.

"I'm not as nasty as your own daughter being your favourite sex symbol, your wet dreams infused with your own genes.

"I’m not as nasty as confederate flags being tattooed across my cities, maybe the south is actually going to rise, maybe for some it never really fell."

 Referencing his infamous attack on Hillary Clinton, Ashley repeatedly chanted "I'm a nasty woman"
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Referencing his infamous attack on Hillary Clinton, Ashley repeatedly chanted "I'm a nasty woman"Credit: Getty Images - WireImage

She then paused, chanting "I'm a nasty woman" repeatedly to the crowds cheers.

Before finishing with reference to the infamous footage of Trump boasting that you can grab women "by the p***y when you're a star".

She said: "And our p***ies ain’t for grabbing, they’re for reminding you that our walls are stronger than America’s ever will be.

"Our p*****s are for our pleasure, for birthing new generations of filthy, vulgar, nasty, proud, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh, generations of nasty women."

 The actress-turned-activist recited a poem written by a teenager in Tennessee
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The actress-turned-activist recited a poem written by a teenager in TennesseeCredit: Getty Images - WireImage

Meanwhile, actress America Ferrera was calmer in her address to the Washington crowd, which included plenty of men, too.

She said: "We march today for the moral core of this nation, against which our new president is waging a war.

"Our dignity, our character, our rights have all been under attack, and a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America. ... We are America, and we are here to stay."

Turnout was so big that the original march route alongside the National Mall was packed, and instead of trekking en masse to the Ellipse by the White House as planned, the protesters were told to make their way there on their own by way of other streets.

In Chicago, organizers canceled the march portion of their event for safety reasons after the overflow crowd reached an estimated 150,000.

 In Washington 500,000 people joined the march, organisers said
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In Washington 500,000 people joined the march, organisers saidCredit: Getty Images

The women brandished signs with slogans such as "Women won't back down" and "Less fear more love" and decried Trump's stand on such issues as abortion, health care, gay rights, diversity and climate change.

Their message reverberated at demonstrations around the globe, from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles to Paris, Berlin, London, Prague, Sydney and beyond.

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