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'This is the upside of the downside': Women's March finds hope in defiance 'This is the upside of the downside': Women's March finds hope in defiance
(about 3 hours later)
Anarchists in black masks who disrupted Donald Trump’s inauguration day gave way to an ocean of pink hats and exuberant – though defiant – women who gathered in their hundreds of thousands on Saturday. The Women’s March on Washington was believed to be on track to exceed a million participants on Saturday, as organizers said the huge rally in the capital and US marches from coast to coast had been peaceful despite huge numbers and palpable anger at the agenda of President Trump.
The Women’s March on Washington descended on the US capital, while in hundreds of cities across America and around the world women joined in a gesture of resistance against the new president’s first full day in office – bringing a palpable sense of solidarity and determination to resist a backwards-looking agenda. Evvie Harmon, global coordinator of the marches, said initial and unofficial estimates put the crowd in Washington at more than 1 million people and the attendance at events worldwide in excess of 3 million.
The crowds were of remarkable size in leading cities, especially massive in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, with significant rallies in Boston and Atlanta as well as Seattle, Nashville, Houston and many others. “I’m hoping it will be a record in Washington,” she told the Guardian. “Especially with the turnout at the inauguration on Friday being, well, not so high.”
And despite massive gatherings and palpable anger towards the new president, by mid-afternoon on Saturday, remarkably, no significant trouble had been reported from the mass mobilizations coast to coast. Harmon based her calculation on reports from march stewards and volunteers who were out on the streets of the capital and had experienced the first inauguration of Barack Obama as president in 2009, when as many as 1.8 million people were estimated to have come to Washington.
The rally inWashington had grown to an estimated 500,000-strong by midday and as the rally at the base of Capitol Hill continued into the afternoon, there was uncertainty about whether the planned march to the Ellipse, in front of the White House, could actually take place. Reports by mid-afternoon said the route was already full of people and event organizers would not lead a march after all. Moments later, a message from organizers emerged that the march would go ahead. It was set to be more of a triumphant shuffle to within earshot of the Trump White House, as crowds packed the streets. If the crowd for the Women’s March did exceed a million, it would almost certainly be the largest protest recorded in US history, topping the enormous demonstrations of the civil rights era and against the Vietnam war, which frequently attracted a quarter to half a million people.
Beneath the bubbly atmosphere, smiles and air-punching by women carrying often witty signs, their children, cameras and flags, the message was resoundingly against what speakers called “a platform of hate” offered by Trump. Perhaps surprisingly, given the sheer numbers packed into the streets in many cities and the rage and defiance bubbling beneath the sea of pink hats, there was no reported trouble.
. Roads and mass transit were packed. The great influx stood in stark contrast to the relatively paltry turn-out for the inauguration ceremony and parade the day before. “I have not heard of any arrests,” said Harmon.
As speakers at the march warned of “a heart-wrenching time to be a woman”, a new mass movement began at the base of Capitol Hill on Saturday. This contrasted with Trump’s inauguration day on Friday, when protesters in black masks smashed windows, set fires and threw rocks at police wearing riot gear.
Latina activist and actress America Ferrera called on the crowds to reject “a credo of hate.” There were more than 230 arrests on Friday and District of Columbia prosecutors said on Saturday many were due in court and could face felony rioting charges.
Less than 24 hours before, near the same spot, Trump had delivered a brutal, sinister speech meant to whip up ordinary people against the Washington elites and rail against what he described as a dystopian scene of “American carnage” in the US, with crime, poverty, post-industrial decline, drug addiction and economic inequality blighting the landscape. Those dark scenes provided a frightening backdrop as Donald Trump gave a grim inaugural speech. But on Saturday an ocean of women in pink hats cheered and chanted with a mix of exuberance and defiance.
“It’s been a heart-wrenching time to be a woman and an immigrant in this country – a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America ... We are America,” she said. The crowds were of remarkable size in many cities, especially in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York and with significant rallies in Boston and Atlanta as well as Seattle, Nashville, Houston, Denver and many others.
Ferrera was followed by feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who said of Trump: “He said he was for the people... I have met the people and you are not them.” By midday the crowd inWashington had grown to an estimated 500,000 and as a rally at the base of Capitol Hill continued, streets radiating out from the buildings at the heart of America’s democracy began to fill with people.
She added: “This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy that I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age, it is deep in diversity and remember the constitution does not begin with ‘I the president’ it begins with ‘we the people’.” Roads and mass transit were packed and there was uncertainty at one stage about whether the planned march to the Ellipse, in front of the White House, could actually take place. In the event the crowds continued in what amounted to a triumphant shuffle to within earshot of the Trump White House.
She told the crowd: “If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.” .
Protests coinciding with Friday’s inauguration had been disrupted with bursts of violence from masked protesters, who smashed windows and hurled objects at the police. At one point a limousine had its windows smashed and was set alight, with the unrest leading to more than 200 arrests. Speakers warned of “a heart-wrenching time to be a woman. The Latina activist and actress America Ferrera called on the crowds to reject “a credo of hate”.
When we elect a possible president, we too often go home. We’ve elected an impossible president, we’re never going home Less than 24 hours before, near the same spot, Trump had delivered a brutal, sinister speech meant to whip up ordinary people against Washington. The president railed against a dystopian scene of “American carnage”, in which crime, poverty, post-industrial decline, drug addiction and economic inequality scarred the landscape.
On Saturday, the atmosphere was quite different. There is no doubting that the women and the many men who came to Washington in support are angry – and it is that anger that prompted the huge event, following Trump’s divisive campaign peppered with racism and misogyny, then his shock win. On Saturday, Ferrara said: “It’s been a heart-wrenching time to be a woman and an immigrant in this country – a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America ... We are America.”
But the mood at the rally and march was one of galvanizing people into action, with notes of celebration of the occasion. Banners were endowed with hearts, rainbows, unicorns, women’s symbols, anti-nuclear missile symbols, but there were also signs calling for Trump to be impeached and calling him Putin’s puppet. She was followed by the feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who said of Trump: “He said he was for the people … I have met the people and you are not them.”
She added: “This is the upside of the downside. This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy that I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age, it is deep in diversity and remember the constitution does not begin with ‘I the president’ it begins with ‘we the people’.”
Referring to campaign rhetoric that could become foreign policy under the Trump administration, she told the crowd: “If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.”
Banners were endowed with hearts, rainbows, unicorns, women’s symbols, anti-nuclear missile symbols, but there were also signs calling for Trump to be impeached and, in reference to intelligence agencies’ belief that Russia sought to influence the election, calling him Putin’s puppet.
Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Thanks for standing, speaking & marching for our values @womensmarch. Important as ever. I truly believe we’re always Stronger Together.”Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Thanks for standing, speaking & marching for our values @womensmarch. Important as ever. I truly believe we’re always Stronger Together.”
Georgia Congressman John Lewis spoke at a rally and march in Atlanta, a week after he announced he would boycott Trump’s inauguration. When Trump then accused him of leading a “crime ridden” district and being a politician who was “all talk, talk, talk”, when Lewis is literally a battle-scarred hero of the civil rights movement, the number of Democrats boycotting the inauguration swelled above 60. When we elect a possible president, we too often go home. We’ve elected an impossible president, we’re never going home
The Georgia congressman John Lewis spoke at a rally and march in Atlanta, a week after he announced he would boycott Trump’s inauguration. Trump then accused the civil rights veteran of leading a “crime ridden” district and being a politician who was “all talk, talk, talk”. The number of Democrats boycotting the inauguration then rose above 60.
“You look fine and you’re ready to agitate. You have a moral mission,” Lewis told the women’s march in Atlanta.“You look fine and you’re ready to agitate. You have a moral mission,” Lewis told the women’s march in Atlanta.
Back in Washington, four women who have accused Donald Trump of inappropriate sexual contact attended the massive event. Back in Washington, four women who have accused Trump of inappropriate sexual contact attended the march.
“I am here to seek justice, and am pleased with the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who march for women’s rights today,” said Summer Zervos, a former contestant on the Apprentice who has accused Trump of groping her and making aggressive, unwanted sexual advances. She added that her presence was meant to inspire others to “stand up to bullies”. “I am here to seek justice and am pleased with the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who march for women’s rights today,” said Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice who has accused Trump of groping her and making aggressive, unwanted sexual advances. She added that her presence was meant to inspire others to “stand up to bullies”.
The women present included Zervos, who claims Trump’s behavior occurred in 2007, when she met him at his hotel before the two had dinner; Temple Taggart McDowell, who was Miss Utah 1997 in Trump’s Miss USA pageant and accuses Trump of unwanted kissing and touching; and Jessica Drake, an adult film star who claims that Trump kissed and grabbed her without permission and propositioned her for $10,000 at a charity golf tournament. Zervos claims Trump’s behavior occurred in 2007, when she met him at his hotel before the two had dinner. Temple Taggart McDowell, who was Miss Utah 1997 in Trump’s Miss USA pageant and accuses Trump of unwanted kissing and touching, also attended, as did Jessica Drake, an adult film star who claims Trump kissed and grabbed her without permission and propositioned her for $10,000 at a charity golf tournament.
Trump has repeatedly denied their accusations. On Tuesday, Zervos sued Trump for defamation, in response to his denial that their private meeting took place.Trump has repeatedly denied their accusations. On Tuesday, Zervos sued Trump for defamation, in response to his denial that their private meeting took place.
More than a million people were expected to attend “sister” marches in more than 300 US cities, and in total many millions in more than 600 locations globally, from Hungary to New Zealand to Mexico and beyond. Hospital doctor Chioma Ndubisi, meanwhile, had traveled from New York with colleagues who work in family planning. She held a sign saying “Pussy Power” and said in the months since the election women had been approaching her, worried about their birth control coverage.
Aerial shots of rallies in major cities beyond Washington showed huge crowds. In Chicago, an estimated 150,000 people packed into the downtown area – more than three times the numbers initially projected prior to the event. The masses were so packed that march organizers cancelled the march part of the plan, for safety reasons, and declared that the large gathering would continue as a rally only.
In Boston, tens of thousands of pink-hatted protesters descended on the historic Boston Common. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren fired up the crowds.
President Trump, I did not vote for you. I want to be able to support you but first I ask that you support me
“A Republican Congress is eager to rip away healthcare from millions of Americans. A Trump-Pence supreme court could overturn Roe v Wade,” she warned, to boos and whoops.
Warren, wearing a pink Planned Parenthood scarf, warned of pending attacks on unions, pensions, social security, public education, financial regulation and broken criminal justice and voting rights systems.
“We can whimper. We can whine – or we can fight back,” she shouted, to mass cheering.
Back in Washington, hospital doctor Chioma Ndubisi had traveled from New York with colleagues who work in family planning.
She held a sign saying Pussy Power and said in the months since the election women have been approaching her worried about their birth control coverage.
“I saw a sign that said: ‘Too many issues for one sign.’ That’s exactly how I feel. This is a moment to inspire others to act,” she said.“I saw a sign that said: ‘Too many issues for one sign.’ That’s exactly how I feel. This is a moment to inspire others to act,” she said.
Actor Scarlett Johansson spoke in defense of Planned Parenthood.
“There are very real and devastating consequences to denying access to healthcare and birth control. President Trump, I did not vote for you,” she said to a cheer of approval.
“I want to be able to support you but first I ask that you support me,” she added.
Two messages at opposite ends of the world summed up the emotions of many on Saturday. In Washington, a women in a pink hat held a sign reading: “I will not go quietly back to the 1950s”. In Adelaide, Australia, a woman tweeted: “What happens in the USA is a warning to us all.”