What began as a simple Facebook post quickly turned into one of America’s largest demonstrations. The Women’s March On Washington—a gathering of hundreds of thousands of people in Washington D.C., nationwide, and around the world—occurred on Saturday after the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. The ralliers came with a clear message to send to President Trump and the new administration about the rights of women and other civil rights matters. This march, although labeled “Women’s March…,” was very diverse and featured individuals from many walks of life, people of different races and ethnicities, different sexual orientations, different backgrounds, varying ages, from children to adults, all coming together as one collective voice. This outcome is from the unfaltering efforts of Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez, and Tamika Mallory, the forerunners of the protest.
Here is their mission statement: “We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families – recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.”
Politicians, activists, and celebrities alike, spoke at the event on Saturday expressing their strong feelings of opposition towards this new administration. Many ralliers at the march believe that there was an unpleasant, unwelcoming attitude against women during the previous election. Several vocal participants didn’t feel like their voices were heard and that issues they felt deeply about weren’t being addressed accordingly. Protesters fear that women’s rights and other civil rights are in danger under a Donald Trump presidency. Some of those rights accommodate reproductive rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQIA rights, workers rights, etc. Many pink hats were worn in response to the misogyny and sexism that played a role in Trump’s Presidential campaign with the motive to “make a unique collective visual statement which will help activists be better heard.”
From their website: “Women’s rights are human rights, regardless of a woman’s race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, sexual identity, gender expression, economic status, age or disability.”
