Women’s March: “Let’s keep fighting”

The Women’s March took place Jan. 21, a day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, was in general a successful protest.

The sheer size and message of the crowd was clear; women will not sit back and leave their rights ¨up for grabs” given the provocative actions and statements of our newly elected president.

The protest took place around the world with an estimated four million people of different genders, religions, and cultures in the United States itself, to protest many moral issues the new Trump administration poses. Many of the marches were so crowded and public transport systems overflowed with people, that people couldn’t even walk! I probably moved one block in my experience in Oakland.

The protest constituted the largest inauguration protest in this nation’s history and despite the massive crowd size, no cases of violence were reported. A recent study by Yahoo news stated that one in every 100 Americans attended an anti-Trump protest this year.

One of the main factors that led to its success was the fact there was not one report of violence worldwide in these protests, unlike the anti-Trump protests that had taken place the day before in DC. People came out with an attitude of unity and joy and had creative signs which led to a safe and ambient environment despite crowd size. My favorite signs included, “We shall overcomb,” or “ XX=XY, it’s not algebra, it’s justice.”

Many celebrities also attended the march, which I believe didn’t help the cause. Having Madonna drop f-bombs live on CNN was not the best method of speech at the protest. During a rising speech, she declared “Yes, I have thought about blowing up the White House!”

People who voted for Trump now disregard the protest because they detest Hollywood, and feel neglected. A more impactful way of conveying speeches would have been to have politicians and motivated citizens speak about what they’re going to do to challenge the Trump administration, as well as a person who runs a Planned Parenthood clinic or men who see injustice.

However, there were also issues with how these protests were covered in the media, and the many diverse responses. On his first day, President Trump had no remarks for the march, and gave a speech to the intelligence community; this was all the FOX news television program covered. Of three hours of morning coverage with protests happening against Trump worldwide, little to no words were uttered about any of them on one of the most viewed news channels in America.

This bias was later praised by President Trump in a tweet regarding media coverage. His only response to the women’s march was a tweet which said, “Watched the protest yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.”

If you attended the march or simply believe in helping the issues present for women, there are many things you can do: donate to Planned Parenthood, write a letter to your senator about your beliefs on these issues, drop off personal stories about how the Affordable Care Act has helped your family in a local office.

I am proud of the statement women have made and as we face difficulties ahead. Let’s keep fighting.