Women converge on D.C.
People crowd D.C. streets for the Women’s March on Washington in support of women’s rights.
A huge crowd is participating Saturday in the Women’s March on Washington.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Thousands of men and women stand shoulder-to-shoulder as they carry signs down Independence Avenue during the Women’s March on Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, DC – Among some of the country’s most recognizable buildings and monuments, a sea of individuals – white, black, brown, old and young – converged on the nation’s capital Saturday, including a group from Washington and Greene counties.
A day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Women’s March on Washington was not intended as a protest, said organizers, but to support women, minorities and those who fear the loss of their rights under new leadership.
Streets were closed and roadblocks were in place to accommodate for the large crowd, which included mostly women, many men and some children.
There were early signs the crowds in the capital could top those that gathered for Trump’s inauguration Friday. City officials said organizers had more than doubled their turnout estimate to 500,000 as crowds filled the entire march route and subways into the city became clogged with participants.
Some, like the group traveling from Washington and Greene counties, were delayed because of massive delays at area Metro stations. As the group emerged from the underground station, the words of actress America Ferrera blared over loudspeakers.
“If we commit to what aligns us, then we stand a chance of saving the soul of our country,” Ferrera said.
Marchers, with homemade signs as diverse as their causes, chanted and cheered, pressing forward to spread their messages. “Equal rights for all.” “Noh8.” “Fight like a girl.”
Dozens of speakers, from Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards to controversial filmmaker Michael Moore ignited the crowd before marchers took to the streets. Narrower sections of the route had marchers shoulder-to-shoulder. Most documented the historic event on cellphones while chanting, “This is what democracy looks like” and “We are a nation of immigration.”
Kathy Moninger-Ford of Lone Pine said she felt compelled to attend because she wanted to be proactive.
“I really don’t believe in anything Donald Trump stands for,” she said. “Instead of complaining, I decided to be proactive.”
After feeling hopeless and helpless, Moninger-Ford said she feels revitalized by taking part.
“This has really reignited my belief in the country,” she said.
Weslee Hursh, of Centerville, said she had many reasons for marching, namely, feeling like a minority in her beliefs.
“I didn’t know how many people thought,” Hursh said. “Now, I know.”
The movement wasn’t just a Washington phenomenon: More than 600 “sister marches” were held across the country and around the world, including one in Pittsburgh.