Women's March on Washington ...1 of 9 >
Jan. 21, 2017--The day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, women and men from around the country gathered in Washington, DC for one of the biggest marches in recent years.  Pink knitted caps replaced the red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps of the day before.  Protesters carried signs advocating for issues ranging from  women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, racial justice and climate change to attacks on Trump.  They chanted, "We need a leader, not a creepy tweeter."  WMATA reported the day was "the second-busiest day in Metro history with 1,001,613 trips."  According to a chart of crowd estimates coordinated by University of Connecticut associate professor of political scientist Jeremy Pressman, between 470,000 and 680,000 people participated in the march in Washington, DC., and sister rallies were held in cities across the U.S. and around the world.  At least in Washington, DC the March did have some issues with diversity.  People of color participated but the preponderance of faces were white.  A statement from the organizers described how they had "work[ed] hard to engage people from diverse communities," but noted that, "The reality is that the women who initially started organizing were almost all white (+)."  Nonetheless the March showed that the resistance had arrived.  It recalled some of the Tea Party rallies of some years ago, and like the Tea Party these progressive activists now face the challenge of building a movement that can affect policy.
The March's mission statement: "We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.
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