
Just two days before Donald J. Trump’s presidential inauguration, people from across the country descended on Washington in freezing weather and gathered in sister marches in cities and towns nationwide in a People’s March “to demand and defend our freedoms against the attacks on our communities.”
The annual Women’s March now in its eighth year that initially began in 2017 the day after Trump’s inauguration, combined their efforts this year protesting the renewed threat of a second Trump term on a wide range of critical issues of concern. Among them were abortion rights, climate change, the restoration of the pandemic’s expanded Child Tax Credit, fair wages, sexual orientation, gun violence prevention, immigration, climate, Gaza and Ukraine, among many others.
Numerous signs and comments concerned the role of the unelected Elon Musk who has been flexing his newly sprouted political muscle by influencing many of Trump’s ideas and decisions as he has shadowed him since the November election.
Organizers expected 50,00 participants and were not disappointed by the tens of thousands who turned out. This year, participants feel compelled to demonstrate their strength and solidarity, community building and networking in resisting the direction the new Trump administration vows to take.
Many of those who marched under a heavy police presence carried signs warning of how the government is being taken over by oligarchs and others who would like to reform our democracy into their own vision of the world dictated by a few to the many. Women’s issues were again foremost in everyone’s mind along with other individual freedoms and the role of how big money along with its influence has played in the Trump government.
Part of the group’s collective efforts moving forward will be in developing a long-term strategy to challenge the administration on every issue including, but not limited to, appointments and nominations along with policies and decisions that affect the long-term viability of our democracy, families and our collective future along with the proposals contained in the conservative “Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership, The Conservative Promise.”
This year’s march began at three downtown locations each offering followers of different issues a kickoff spot that most aligns with the body of activism and work they would choose to engage in now and for the future. After assembling, protesters merged into one large mass that marched across the city ending in a rally at the Lincoln Memorial where they heard from numerous speakers all of whom encouraged resistance and unity if resisting the upcoming Trump agenda.
No protest would be complete, however, without a group of antagonists and that was the case today with anti-abortion provocateurs making their presence known along with some MAGA supporters who were present, all surrounded by police to ensure the groups whose opposing views of the marchers remained separated and peaceful.
With Trump’s pending inauguration only a day away, the nation’s capital has seen an increase of MAGA cap-wearing supporters arriving in town along with his wealthy supporters who are expected to leave after spending big on the various activities related to the inauguration.
For a president prepossessed by the size of the crowds at his public events, the weather has refused to cooperate. A frigid Arctic cold front is about to descend on the city forcing the inauguration indoors at the Capitol. Thus, robbing him of the bravado that the optics of crowds on the National Mall would have in his mind in validating his popularity.
Report and photo by Phil Pasquini
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