Boston Women’s March for America
Marchers included many first timers, as well as veterans of many years.
January 23, 2017
Along with more 670 cities across the globe, the people of Boston united in a march against the hateful rhetoric of President Donald Trump. Named the “Women’s March for America”, the protest called for much more than equal treatment of women. In fact, it called for total equality regardless of race, gender, ability or economic status.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren broadcasted these ideas in her opening speech to the rally. Supported by Mayor Marty Walsh, Senator Ed Markey, and many other State Representatives and city council members, the march aimed to send a message to Washington. With an original goal of 20,000 participants, the march far surpassed that, with the Boston Police’s estimate placing it at 125,000 marchers.
Throughout the sea of pink hats, many held signs denouncing the new President and the comments he has made. A favorite target of these signs was the famous audio recording of Trump where he mentioned he could “grab [women] by the pussy.” In a reclaiming of the phrase, many women wanted to grab back, not in the literal sense, but by opposing the policies he has proposed.
Unlike the protests immediately following Trump’s inauguration, this protest remained remarkably peaceful. In fact, the BPD reported no arrests at all. Despite many becoming “locked” in the crowd for hours on end, the sunlight and general positive mood of the rally prevented bad feelings from boiling over.
However, not everything at the rally went smoothly. Cell phone lines were completely overrun, making texting and calling nearly impossible. As a result, many students from our school never knew each other were going to the march until after the fact.
That did not seem to matter though, as they joined the millions of other marchers from all over the world. In fact, there was a march on all 7 continents. The marchers pledge to continue as long as the inequality continues to stem from the White House.
Only time will tell if this moment truly turns into a movement.
