We’re getting ready to head down to the courthouse for the start of the Morris Women’s March. I’ll post photos later.
That was nice, and a huge turnout for Morris. For context, our population is about 5,000…and there were 250-300 people there, of all ages, braving the January rain.
Meanwhile, the Trump family went to church, and this was considered newsworthy at a time when mobs of hundreds of thousands of people were turning out in cities all across the country to march in defiance of his election.
From a NYT article on the marches:
In terms of proportion you’ve done better than London UK, PZ – we were a good 100k on the march today, but the population is about 8.7 million (not to mention the fact that being the capital people were more likely to come from out of town as well). And it was a lovely sunny day, too.
On the other hand, this made it on the big side for the category all-marches-to-take-place-in-London, so there’s that :-)
Looks like there isn’t a formal march being held in Lake County, IL. But the local YWCAs were sending a large delegation to the Chicago rally, which got too big for a march.
I work in DC. And sadly had to work instead of adding my person to the march. But did get to ride in with an extraordinary number of marchers on the Metro. (Sheer number broke the train a couple of times.) I’ve never seen so many people on the Metro, and I’ve never been happier to be a sardine in a can. The mood was so positive. I’m awestruck.
I live in Oklahoma, which is about as red as a state can be. I have heard a number of times people complaining about anti-Trump protesters…”Just shut up. You lost.”
I do like that so many people are being active and protesting. I was distressed though that a few protestors yesterday resorted to violence.
Der Trumpf went to church on Saturday? I though Wall Street was closed.
I signed up to march in Lincoln, NE. Unfortunately, I hurt my foot, and am currently unable to walk (temporary, fortunately). I feel like I’ve let down women, my country – but I do realize it was hardly my fault. A freak accident.
Estimate in Walla Walla, WA was 2400-2500 for our march. The organizers had no clue there would be so many people. Apparently it’s the largest march this town had ever known.
Boston marched. Re@1 I was right near that sign
Hooray
Happy to see more marchers today than attendees yesterday. Way to go, ladies!
Also happy that it was well covered in the news channel(s?) here. Wilders _cum suibus_ trying to feed of the Trumpency’s trough.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. Almost no news coverage: no helicopters, no news trucks, there _might_ have been a video set-up, but I sure didn’t see one.
Not more that half-a-dozen cops, not counting the five mounted who were spending most of their time getting photos with little kids. (What IS it with small girls and horses?)
fusilier
James 2:24
Trump holds power because he managed to win the Electoral College, but given that he lost the actual popular vote by 3 million votes I hesitate to term his assumption of power a true election in the usual meaning of the word. In that light, perhaps the protestors are not so much protesting in defiance of Trump’s ‘election’ as they are protesting against the anti-democratic installation into power of a candidate that lost the popular vote and so has no true democratic mandate to rule.
In the country’s smallest state capital – Montpelier, Vermont – marchers exceeded the city’s population of 8,000. Bernie Sanders and Bill McKibben were on hand.
Cross posted from the Moments of Political Madness thread.
A few estimates of crowd size from Women’s Marches:
500,000 + in Washington D.C.
300,000 in NYC
150,000 in Chicago
125,000 in Boston
50,000 in Austin, TX
15,000 in St. Louis
10,000 in Portland, ME
Other signs from the Women’s March:
“My arms are tired from holding this sign since the 1960s.”
“I can’t believe I still have to protest this fucking shit.”
“Girls just want to have FUN…damental rights”
“I’m not usually a sign girl but geez”
Two little girls held a sign that read, “You can’t comb over racism.”
From Antartica: “Penguins for Peace.”
Meanwhile, Libertarians 4 Trump posted images and text that claim women are marching to put their fellow women in burkas and in chains.
From the rightwing there are also a lot of postings that fall into the category of “women are being attacked with acid in Muslim countries, and you are complaining about the cost of birth control.” Another major rightwing category of comments is represented by, “Women’s March What a lame attempt to undermine our President. Our President has so many women in the White House and Cabinet. Look at facts!”
From the religious rightwing: “Please pray especially for adults who are leading children to consort with the powers of darkness at the #WomensMarch today.
From Elizabeth Warren at the Women’s March in Boston:
It’s fun to see some of the signs being carried by women in other countries:
Trump is a BLERT. [London]
A Woman’s Place is in the Resistance [with drawing of Princess Leia]
Uteruses before duderuses [#womensmarchlondon]
Trump is a bad Arl Arse!
Scouse solidarity with our sisters in America
Women for Climate Justice, The women’s Global Call for Climate Justice [Paris]
A woman is somebody, not some body [Paris]
SOLIDARITE DES FEMMES POUR L’EGALITE & LE RESPECT DES DROITS [Paris]
Don’t make America hate again. [Paris]
Translation needed for “Arl Arse” and “Blert”.
We were two of the half million or so in DC. Lots of great signs including many already mentioned, plus a lot of riffs on pussy. One of my favorites: a drawing of the Capitol with the caption “This is not a church.”
Ten thousand strong in Olympia, WA!
Signs from Asheville, where march estimates run between 8-10K:
Super Callow Fragile Ego Trump You Are Atrocious
Y’all Means ALL
We Rise By Lifting Others
Now You’ve Pissed Off Grandma!
No Grizzly Left Behind
And the “not a sign kind of person but geez” one
The best signs from around the world.
I think the needlepoint one might be my favorite.
Here in Chicago initial turnout was expected to be around 50,000. The latest estimates have been around 250,000. March organizers decided to cancel the march due to the enormous crowd size which kept pouring in and extend the duration of the rally portion. We marched anyway, all the way to Trump Tower, many with middle fingers in the air. Entirely peaceful and lots of love to go around. This was a good day for the beginning of a long fight.
One in Boston: “Don’t let Trump Hump America” [with two bunnies humping].
and so on:
“Trump is a symptom”
“Abigail Adams was a Founding ‘Father’ ”
“Our Children are Watching”
“Many Snowflakes are Powerful” {verbal discussions nearby used it as it referred to Blizzard of ’78}
etc.
I don’t think I can make it to the march in LA. I live about an hour away and it ends in about half an hour. I wish I could make it, but I guess having one more guy there wouldn’t make much of a difference. I plan on doing everything I can this semester at my college to resist. Even if I can’t do this thing today, I still hope that I can make a difference.
We decided our presence was needed more in town — Williamsburg, VA — than in DC. So, we drove down to Colonial Williamsburg and to our delight and amazement we found ourselves part of a throng of about a thousand very animated feminists, liberals, lefties, trans, young and old. (Pretty good for here, though, to be sure, the annual fireworks display does get over 50 times that.) Even more amazing was the fact that we were given a permit to march all the way down DoG street to the old colonial capital building! I’ve never seen that allowed for a demonstration before, not even for the Tea Party in its heyday. It was bracing to think that over 200 years ago others marched down that very same street chanting for many of the same things we were. It was a very, very good feeling.
My March in Saint Paul was great except for the start. We were led in a prayer that excluded atheists. My group was confused and disappointed with this. Did anyone else have this experience?
A couple more observations…..
The march in DC (and I’d venture to say most other places) looked a lot more like America than anything Trump has put together. All ages, races, skin colors, genders…. Heard a lot of Spanish and a bit of German, and saw a sign in Turkish.
I am sick of the argument that we should want Trump to succeed, because . Fuck no, not in the way Trump defines success. Repeal ACA, defund Planned Parenthood, outlaw abortion, divert school funding to vouchers, roll back environmental and consumer regulations, deregulate, abandon Europe to Putin and the fascists, build up the military, build the wall, kick out undocumented immigrants, register Muslims…. FUCK THAT SHIT! If that’s success, may Trump fail spectacularly.
Also, Maxine Waters rocks!
Hubby and I were at the Austin Women’s March, reported to be about 50,000. I believe it! Just huge!
I heard no prayer at the Austin March. I did kick myself for not making a sign. After I was there I thought about an Atheist Plus for Women’s Rights, or Religious Rights, or Immigrant Rights. Damn. I lost that chance.
@feministhomemaker
Agreed – I wish I had made a sign about atheists being for women, LGBTQ, and immigrants rights. It was still worth being a part of!
Lots of diverse groups at our March in Austin: old women in wheel chairs, with walkers, with those knee chases, young women with canes and using electric scooters, women in hijab, men in pussy hats, one I just loved who rigged a pink bandana over his head with pointed ear spikes on each side! Black women and men and Mexican American women chanting in Spanish, little girls and boys, babies in strollers. So many signs, many I managed to get photos of, others I could not because they moved through the crowds too quickly. The black lady in hijab held a sign saying The Future is Nasty! White lady held sign Countdown to Impeachment. Two white women in pussy hats held sign saying You Can Pee With Me!
Good turnout in Seattle: 120-130,000 marchers. We filled the streets for the entire 3.5mi route. It overwhelmed the cellular networks.
My wife took a picture of this lovely sign at the DC march today.
I hope the march was bigger than the inausearation!
Just watched the first daily press briefing which was all about ‘there were too lots of people at the inauguration. You press are poopyheads’.
Our march was so much bigger than we were expecting that it ended up doubling over on itself on the route. More than 2,000 people showed up, with a city population of 26,913. Not too shabby. The organizers made a point to center the voices of WOC and immigrants, too. I was very pleased.
The St. Paul march was expecting 20,000, and ended up with 60,000. The only incidence of poor behavior was a pro-trump white dude with pepper spray being arrested. The mounted police were extremely popular and friendly. Check the photo gallery for some great pics, including the Native women and dancers who led the march.
Apparently here in Portland we had a good 70-100k. Including me with my little “Protect the CFPB” sign.
San Jose had over 25,000 (possibly well over) and certainly solidly packed (a lot of people probably went to the San Francisco march instead though some did both). At least a couple of the speakers (including a Catholic priest) mentioned atheists as members of the movement. Strong emphasis on immigrants.
I saw a video earlier this evening…I can’t find it now…of the throngs of people marching in New York City at the T/Tower. It’s been a rainy day in San Francisco, but lots of people down at the Civic Center all day, while throngs of people were headed downtown for the march planned for this evening. Even in my little neighborhood of San Francisco there were people demonstrating. I also saw a video of the motorcade yesterday with people lining the route booing.
And another footnote, Hollywood Reporter has the inauguration coverage ratings results: 30.6 million viewers compared to 38 million for Obama, an 18% drop. As a TV guy, this is something TweeterDumb would notice. (They also report a bump up in ratings for Colbert.)
An estimate of 1500 to 2000 here in Cheyenne, Wyoming. That’s really a pretty good crowd for us, though a bunch of people drove in from Laramie.
Re @22
My own contributions to the sea of signs in Boston:
ACA 4EVR
and
ACA❤️
cares
Just got back (finally!) from DC, 14 hours to spend six at the March. We ran in on the Metro down the Green Line, which was stuffed with marchers. With 95 very heavy, we had left Baltimore at 8, and only arrived at the rally by 12. Coming back, we ended up two stops short of our destination, on a platform with four packed trains’ worth of Marchers. While we waited, someone struck up We Shall Overcome, and that put a lot of smiles on faces of a lot of stressed, overpacked humans.
In between, we attended the rally until 2:30 before we started marching in a slow zombie shuffle towards the Mall. We walked three blocks in two hours (the length of one federal building), before stopping for street meat and drinks, then starting the path home.
The atmosphere was amazing, just so MANY feminists in one place, and a lot of spontaneous meetings with new people we encountered. I don’t do well in crowds, but I felt much less anxious than I expected, given I could quiet my survivor brain with knowing I was in a crowd of people with the will to help strangers, not hurt them or rip them off.
Definitely worth the journey down from Canada, five stars, would recommend to friends.
Honestly, I would not characterize this march as a women’s march. Lots of people marching, for lots of reasons. My favorite signs were one that said “All My Leaders Are At Standing Rock”, one that said “Water Is Life” (in Shoshone, I think, though the Wind River Reservation is also home to the Arapaho), and one that had a quote by Chief Joseph. What these marches said to me, more than anything, was that we are committed to each other, even if the people in power couldn’t care less.
Shout out to all my fellow marchers. The turnout and atmosphere in Seattle was amazing. Lots of love for all of humanity in the air today–as well as anger toward those who would strip any of us of our rights.
From the Seattle march: ‘Men of quality don’t fear equality’ ‘I no longer accept what I can’t change, I am changing what I can’t accept’
@Mobius # 5
There is a significant chance that the black-outfitted group that resorted to violence (the only group that did instigate violence) were actually Trump supporters, or at the very least anarchists who like what Trump is doing to the country.
My favourite sign from the (smallish but for here rather decent) local march was something along the lines of “[If you] Resist Existence, Expect Resistance”. I’m glad I went.
At the London march, Sir Ian McKellen, who is good friends with Sir Patrick Stewart, apparently held up a sign that was just a picture of the ‘Picard facepalm’ meme.
Methuseus @47: My first thought when I hear about stereotypical black-clad & masked “anarchists” causing a riot is to suspect police agent provocateurs.
Little Greenfield Massachusetts, where we were, is estimated to have had 2,000 -2,500 marchers. (Pop. 17,400). Of course a lot of folks came in from the hill towns, but a lot of folks also drove to Boston, so I think that’s pretty remarkable. On the low end, that’s over 11% of the city population.
Here are some responses from rightwing dunderheads.
From Erick Erickson: I feel sorry for all the ham and cheese that won’t get made into sandwiches while all those women are marching.
From Piers Morgan: I’m planning a “Men’s March” to protest at the creeping global emasculation of my gender by rabid feminists. Who’s with me?
Also from Piers Morgan: Let’s be honest, ladies … today’s Women’s March is just an anti-democratic protest at Trump winning the presidency.
From Michael Flynn Jr: Women already have equal rights, and YES equal pay in this country. What MORE do you want? Free mani/pedis?
From Paul Joseph Watson: Dear #WomensMarch protesters. Women in the west have never had it bester. Go and protest against honor killings, you utter morons.
From Jim Host (@gateway pundit): Overweight homely women march in DC with “[P-Word] grab” pink hats #Ugh.
From John Cardillo: Wrap this up girls. My shirts aren’t going to iron themselves.
From Sheriff David Clarke: In D.C. a day AFTER the inaugural. Women’s march. An absolute freak show. P-T Barnum should have delayed the announcement to shut down.
Here is the cold open from Saturday Night Live. The difference between the number of protestors and the number of people attending the inaugural is mentioned. Good segment, featuring the Vladimir Putin impersonator. The video is 4:05 minutes long.
Man, conservative women, they must feel so valued and respected.
Hi ,don’t know where to post this .
Llhan Omar has just been sworn in holding the biggest quran she could find .
That popping sound is all the repubs heads exploding .
Giliell #54, I wonder what those so-called men would do if faced the situation I was after the Redhead’s stroke five years ago. I did what was necessary.
I can see these poor examples of manhood pawning off their mother off to eldest daughter, and going out and finding a new, much younger wife.
Nerd
1. Hire an undocumented immigrant, pay her a pittance for 24/7 hours of work and threaten her with the police
2. If they can’t do that, blackmail female relatives into doing that work
3. Get a divorce.
@ 51 robinl
My first thought when I hear about stereotypical black-clad & masked “anarchists” causing a riot is to suspect police agent provocateurs.
Check their footwear. Often a giveaway.
Oh and don’t forget the haircuts, useful but not all that reliable.
Please, Asclesius, let us not fascilitate what we know from history will be the powerful urge to erase or bury this bit of women’s history since so much of womens history has been grossly ignored for millennia. This was called a women’s march not with the purpose of limiting the individual reasons for marching, but because the people who invisioned it and started it were women angry at a specific aspect of the Trump campaign–its treatment of women, of women’s reproductive rights, of Hillary, of people of color, of LGBTQ folk, and on and on. Women conceived it and organized it, women of all colors and creeds successfully struggled with each other to make it more meaningful to all women, and while open to all who shared those values it did not shy away from expecting men to walk with us in solidarity for defending our rights and the rights of everyone, men included. It did not shy away from asking others to take our lead. We planned conceived it, we planned it, we showed up with our loved ones to make it a huge statement of our resolve and power, so yes, it was a women’s march. Let us be aware of how hard it has been to get women’s history acknowledged and taught and not do anything that would make it easy for it to be erased again, this largest protest march ever in the history of the USA. Such a march was accomplished by and led by women with our allies unashamed to be taking our lead. Say our name!
@#60, feminist homemaker: SAY OUR NAME!
In other words, +1.
Eep. #59.
Sorry, I don’t understand. I meant it as say our name, women, for the march. Women’s March. We named it so. Name us, women. Didn’t mean personal names. I am forever surprised by how much we have done, women, that has been lost or ignored or discredited so this time I have a strong hunger to have this accomplishment be remembered and women given the credit that is due. No doubt I messed it up trying to say this.
Sorry, I don’t know what Eep. followed by number beside my comment means. Or , in other words,+1 in the other response. I so look forward to seeing responses to what I write and then I feel foolish when I can’t understand the response. So much internet lingo I don’t know or understand. ugh….sorry.
http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a42337/angela-davis-womens-march-speech-full-transcript/
That is a more in depth way to explain the name of our march as the Women’s March and why it should be remembered as our history.
I was simply agreeing with you, feministhomemaker. And then realising I’d used the wrong number, and correcting it. No deep mysteries.
Lol! I learned that one! Thanks.
Lynna, OM @52
What strikes me is just how repetitive and unoriginal all of their complaints are. They’re just repeating the same long-refuted bullshit that they always do.
First, they do the same crack about making sandwiches that dipshit misogynists always do and just prove feminists’ point. Then, they complain about men being the real victims because women are calling them out on their shit. There’s also the usual hypocritical accusations of being “undemocratic” for protesting Trump’s election, even though Trump and his followers did the same thing when Obama got re-elected, and this election said they wouldn’t accept the results if Trump lost.
Then we have Flynn jr. flat out denying that women face any sort of sexism in the US, in spite of he and his fellow conservatives perpetuating rape myths that hurt victims, social research showing that male academics are biased against women, conservatives campaigning to limit access to reproductive services, and conservatives adhering to bigoted gender essentialism in general. Also, another case of proving feminists’ point with that mani/pedi line.
Next up, we have another dear muslima. The above issues are serious problems that can negatively impact women’s lives, and the fact that women elsewhere have it worse doesn’t make them acceptable. I could just as easily argue that conservatives have no right to complain about a war on Christmas or limits on religious freedom when Christians in some other countries have to worry about being killed for their beliefs. Why do fiscal conservatives care about government regulation here when North Korea still exists?
Aaand we have another pair of assholes proving feminists’ point by claiming that all of the women in the marches are fat and ugly, and joking about ironing shirts. How do they not get that they’re undermining their own arguments?
Finally, we have David “torches and pitchforks” Clarke complaining about people protesting the election and calling it a “freak show”. The guy who’s working with a vulgarian reality tv host president who brought white supremacism back into the mainstream, tweeted crazy conspiracy theories and bragged about sexual assault thinks the women protesting are freaks.
Women (and men) all over the world took place in huge marches to protest the misogyny of right-wing extremists, and made it clear that they’re going to oppose them together. I think that these conservative assholes are mouthing off because they realize that these protestors are a threat to them. All the authoritarian shitheads can do is take juvenile swipes at the resistance mounting against them.
We’re stronger than them, and we can defeat them.
So exercising free speech in the form of a large march or protest is now anti-democratic (as per Lynna‘s @52).
Why am I not surprised?
feministhomemaker @59
Agreed wholeheartedly. Especially this:
#16, Lynna
“Blert” and “Arl Arse” are both insults in Scouse slang (i.e. Liverpool vernacular). I’m not sure of the exact derivations, but as I understand it, Blert means a thoughtless person and Arl Arse is a mean or cruel person.
#47 / Methuseus:
With regard to the violence, I’d read that it’s just the standard anarchist jackasses who seem to show up to left wing protests to break stuff under cover. DC Police reported ZERO arrests from the protest itself.
#10 / Rene: 3000 marched in Amsterdam and hundreds in Den Haag, too!
My first vote as a Dutch person will be this March. There’s a neat tool here called the stemwijzer that goes through about 30 issues and compares your stance with (for now) how each party has voted in the past few years. In a few weeks, it’ll also compare it to what the various parties are promising. Pretty essential in a system with so many parties…