ONE DAY, ONE VOICE: More than a million descend on D.C. for Women’s March
Our
"I don't see the point in protesting now," he said. "The time to protest was voting."
But while organizers of the Women's March were specific in their statement that this was not a protest against President
We were dropped near
The people marching Saturday wanted to send a clear message that this was not acceptable. They marched for reproductive rights, access to health care and education, they marched for black lives, they marched for freedom, equality and respect for people of all communities in America. They marched to start the conversation and show the world that they are here and collectively stand for equality and better lives for people living in this country.
Signs ran the gamut of ideas and construction -- some professionally printed, others hand-drawn and painted, hundreds of thousands lifting their words up in the air for all to see:
"When they go low, we go high -- Hate has no home here -- We deserve better -- Keep your laws off our bodies -- You cannot silence us -- The revolution will be intersectional -- Being a woman is not a pre-existing condition -- Inaugurate the resistance -- No Muslim registry -- No wall -- Tweet less, listen more -- Black lives matter -- What's your revolution? -- I'm not giving up and neither should you -- Stand up, speak out -- There is no R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty --
And then there were the chants:
"This is what democracy/feminism looks like, this is what democracy/feminism sounds like"; "Can't build a wall, hands too small"; and "Hey, hey, ho, ho,
This was when we heard rumors the crowd had reached half a million. By the end of the day, we would learn it was over a million.
"I don't like the lies and manipulation and I can't support it," Wrigley said, on why she wanted to be there. I don't think that's OK and acceptable."
Lynn said her motivation had been to make sure everyone knew that there were numbers here too big to ignore.
"I think it's just a way to let everyone know we're all watching, we're not sitting silently by, you can't press certain people down because everyone is going to be watching," she said. "People you don't think are important are watching ... people you do think are important are watching. You can't get away with it in this country because we'll all be here."
Inside a fenced area within earshot of the roars of the crowd but not the words of the speakers, crowds filled the muddy area, waiting, talking, being present. Some climbed trees and scaffolding to get a better view of the crowd.
Three elementary-school-aged girls incited chants from passers-by, and a nearby woman nicely declined my video interview, saying that they "had been warned" against people inside who may be against the cause and collecting video clips for ulterior motives, although she said she believed I was who I said I was.
Outside the gates, several women took turns starting helpful chants to direct people; it wasn't until then that a lot of us understood we could not enter the stage area where the speakers were.
"Mic check, mic, check," they took turns chanting, with the crowd chanting back. "Amplify my voice!"
"The march is on the sidewalk, bathrooms to the right. The stage is closed," they directed.
Before the march began,
"We have to keep our eyes on the prize, and that is we have somebody who's very dangerous [in office,]" she said. "If we can't unite and come up with something we can agree on, we're going to have this for eight years and I am very concerned."
A woman named Sandy talked of her autistic, intelligent and politically involved son, who's very afraid of what the Trump presidency could mean for all of humanity. She said he came home very concerned on
"He said 'I think we're OK for a little while,'" she said of her son, adding "He's incredibly worried."
But Sandy's concerns lie more with the uncertain future of health care; her son is about to turn 18 and will no longer be on his family's policy. He needs regular health care and medication due to his disability.
"It's a ... pre-existing condition and he's going to need support going forward," she said. "I believe he'll be employable and he's going to need a little bit more help on the average. We've got people who want to dismantle the public health system and we've got people in power who want to dismantle the ACA ... I don't know where that's going to leave people like our family."
She said she hopes the march galvanizes people to keep moving forward, fighting harder for the justices they believe in.
"At the end of the day, you can't give up," Sandy said. "Because then what's going to happen?"
As the march moved down D.C. streets, the crowd remained positive and determined. They sang songs, chanted in unison, danced, performed.
"That's America," he said. "You can protest whatever you want. I'm on the other side -- I'm a
He said what he's looking for in Trump is a man who will straighten out the country.
"I think he's going to bring jobs back; he's going to put people to work at a fair wage," Nelson said. "I think he'll do a lot of great things for the country. I think he's beholden to no one, which makes him a very attractive president in my view -- when he said 'drain the swamp,' he was referring to both sides."
He added that people need to communicate to correct any division in the country now.
"We have to listen to one another, but in order to do that, we have to stop yelling at one another -- stop yelling and start listening," he said.
"It's not only to represent being a woman, how powerful we are, but also I'm here to march [for] my fellow neighbors -- the black community, the Hispanic community, all the communities," Kouao said, on why she wanted to be there.
"I've been to antiwar marches before, but this is the most wonderful march I've ever been to," the 68-year-old said. "I'm excited to go back and teach more -- it's never been more important.
"I'm very disappointed that
When the march was wrapping up, with hundreds of thousands or more dispersed into the rest of the city to get dinner, talk about what's next, a
A group of friends sat outside the
"I think the fact that the women are leading this movement, starting this discussion, it's important and it gives a certain type of feel to things I think is appropriate and necessary,"
"This is the America that I see and this is the America that's around me."
"Women are the moral backbone of our society," he said. "When the values of the moral backbone of our society are outraged and displaced enough that this happens, the rest of that is pretty common sense. We listen, we show up."
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