In downtown D.C., the Women’s March on Washington took place Jan. 21, 2017, and it included 673 sister marches. Worldwide the march was attended by an 4.9 million people estimated by the Women’s March Website, including students from RHS. Over half a million marched in D.C., according to the organizers of the march.
According to the Women’s March website, “The march was organized in a counter protest to the inauguration of Donald Trump, and to protect the rights of “immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assaulta��.”
Andrea Hall is a communications and outreach coordinator for Charity and Security network. She organized the Progressive Women Working Together, a group based in Montgomery County.
“People across America are seeing that there is this power of women that is so strong and so motivated, people who’ve never marched, people who’s never written a postcard or sent an email to their legislature before showed up because they’re so incredibly motivated to change what’s happening,” Hall said.
English teacher Anne Ehlers marched with her mother, sister and daughter.
“My mother’s been a champion at protesting for a long time, but after the election I felt that it was really important that our voices get heard. Clinton won the popular vote, Donald Trump did not, and he’s making some really disturbing appointments, and that’s even before the horrific week we’ve had with the executive orders,” Ehlers said.
Throughout history, protests such as the March on Washington have had a lasting impact on American policy. Legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were pushed forward and passed partly because of the size of the march, and how much attention it got.
According to the Washington Post, “[The Women’s March] provided a balm for those eager to immerse themselves in a like-minded sea of citizens who shared their anxiety and disappointment after Democrat Hillary Clinton’s historic bid for the presidency ended in defeat.”
Still, some attendees, such as sophomore Emma Mejia, who attended the march with her mother, seemed to wonder how much of a lasting impact the Women’s March on Washington will get.
“Though the march was successful in theory, there was definitely flaws in its execution. I think the turnout indicated to President Trump that there are, in fact, thousands who resist him. Hopefully the march sparks a series of protests that advocates against certain policies,” Mejia said.