A nation of millions just won’t hold back
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of women and their supporters staged an enormous, raucous rally in the nation’s capital Saturday to send a potent message of defiance to newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.
Like the Women’s March on Washington, other gatherings around the country also swelled to unexpected size, forcing organizers to veer off planned routes or stand in place to chant and cheer rather than march as planned.
In Washington, a throng estimated at 500,000 appeared to dwarf the previous day’s inauguration turnout, marking one of the capital’s biggest gatherings
in years.
Protests also were held in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere across the country.
The Washington march also marshaled a show of star power absent from inauguration festivities, with comedian Amy Schumer taking to the stage to introduce Madonna, who unleashed an expletive-laced exhortation to “choose love.” Then the singer belted out “Express Yourself.”
Similar marches were underway throughout the world in 673 “sister” cities — up to 2.5 million protesters, organizers said, in cities across Europe and in Africa and Australia.
The Washington marchers came from all over the nation, representing the vast expanse of modern America: Women and men, white and black, Christian and Muslim, cisgender and transgender, young and old.
The crowd was so massive that attendees began marching before the speakers were done. They paraded informally down Constitution Avenue, past the Washington Monument, a noisy procession interspersed with cheers and chants such as “Love trumps hate.”
The rallies were organized under the rubric of women’s rights that many fear are imperiled under the new administration.
However, the march’s platform also incorporated an array of progressive causes, including health care, environmental concerns and racial justice.
A sea of pink knitted hats — the movement’s signature headgear — replaced the red baseball caps worn by Trump supporters at the inauguration. “Yesterday was their day; today is ours,” said Kim Crawford, 53, of Clinton, Md. Of Trump, she said: “I’m not sure he’ll hear our voices, but we’re raising them.”
Organizers — and many marchers — said they did not want the event’s focus to be opposition to the new president, but rather on the causes they sought to promote. But disdain for Trump’s past words and actions during a divisive campaign were on display, and was often reflected in signs that played off explicit language employed in the now-famous video in which Trump talked about sexually assaulting women.
“Don’t even THINK of grabbing mine,” read one of the tamer versions.
While most of marchers were female, men turned out in considerable numbers as well.
Jacob Osterman, 24, traveled from Boston with friends.
“I love and care about the women in my life, and this is a way to show that,” he said.
The atmosphere was simultaneously lighthearted — “Oh, I’m wearing my pink hat, so of course you’ll be able to find me!” one woman joked — and somber, as many pondered the future.
“People are really frightened about losing their health insurance,” said Gretchen Stanford, from nearby Alexandria, Va. “And frightened about lots of other things.”
A contingent of young women and girls in hijabs waved to passers-by as they headed to the rally site. Rudy, 15, wearing a white headscarf, was too shy to give her full name but said with a smile: “I want to be seen.”