Down every side street, women and men clad in pink “pussyhats” shuffled forward to join the already overflowing mass of people marching down Pennsylvania Avenue. Their waving signs proclaimed messages of female empowerment and anti-Trump slogans. The hats themselves, normal knitted hats except for two ear-shaped points at the top, referenced Trump’s 2005 comment: “grab [women] by the pussy.” However, as evidenced by the faces of determined and confident women wearing them, the hats also represented unapologetic female power and pride.
In 673 cities worldwide, people took to the streets to exercise this power and pride in response to the election and inauguration of Donald Trump. In Washington D.C., the location of the highest-attended march, it was estimated that over 500,000 marchers came from all over the U.S.
Before the march even began, a multitude of speakers went on stage to define the movement and inspire the crowds. One of the first speakers, actress America Ferrera, reminded the crowds that they should not despair. “It has been a heart-wrenching time to be a woman and an immigrant in this country… but the President is not America.” Through deafening cheers, she affirmed what the women and men in crowds stretching back 13 blocks already knew: “We are America.”
Other speakers spoke passionately about the need for broader and more intersectional feminism. Janelle Monáe led a song dedicated to African-American victims of police brutality in which the mothers of victims sang their sons’ names, and J. Bob Alotta, executive director of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, reminded marchers that what they were participating in was an uprising of radical love.
Ithaca held its own Women’s March 10,000 strong, shattering early expectations. Women and men from the community joined on the Commons to take part in the global movement. They marched down Cayuga Street in a wide circle around the downtown area. Many of the same chants could be heard echoing through the streets in Ithaca as in Washington, including “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!”
One IHS sophomore who attended the march said that it reminded her of what a passionate city she lives in. “It was so comforting to know that so many other people have strong emotions about the election,” she said, “and that we’re all in it together.”
A woman whom I marched beside in Washington expressed a similar sentiment. We were lightheartedly discussing our aching backs and knees, the result of spending nine hours on our feet, but she grew serious quickly. “Think about our foresisters,” she reminded me. “Just to be able to vote, they were ignored, mocked, jailed, beaten.” Her solemnity was paralleled in the overall atmosphere of the event. Everyone I encountered was friendly and police say there were no instances of violence, but without doubt, people were angry.
In the coming days and weeks, President Trump’s words and actions will continue to have bearing on all Americans, both female and male. Having taken place on Trump’s first day in office, the marches reaffirmed the presence of women and the need to protect women’s rights just as Trump begins his presidency. Among other achievements, it certainly sent a bold message to the new president and his administration that women are here, that they’re not going away, and that their lives and issues deserve respect.