In the U.S. and Around the Globe, Millions in the Streets Determined to Fight Trump

Right from Trump’s January 20 inaugural speech, the Trump/Pence regime made chillingly clear its determination to radically and quickly reorder the current form of political rule in the U.S. into fascism. The very next day, millions of people in cities across the U.S. and around the world turned out for the Women’s March, expressing serious but exuberant opposition to Trump. The marches drew in many, many people who do not normally demonstrate and are far from politically radical, but who cleared the day and in some cases traveled hundreds and even thousands of miles to make their statement. This in turn represents a broader layer of humanity and, potentially, billions of people. In short, this was something to take real heart from, and to welcome.

People deeply fear that Trump and his whole fascist regime—if they are not stopped—will bring down horror upon horror on women, and everyone! For millions of women and men, January 21 was a day to speak out—to challenge the Trump/Pence regime’s assaults on and threats against women’s rights and human rights in general. The marches showed people’s determination to fight for women’s right to abortion and reproductive rights overall and to defend Planned Parenthood. Many also came out to speak out against Trump’s vicious attacks on immigrants and Muslim people. In the Washington, DC, march, singer/actor Janelle Monáe concentrated the feelings of many when she called out murders by police and led the crowd in a chant of “Sandra Bland! Say her name!”

The sentiments of the crowds—hatred of Trump; fear and anger that women’s rights and the rights of others are being taken away; determination to fight the fascist attacks—were reflected in the signs and chants:

“We don’t like that guy in the White House... we are not kidding”
“Keep your laws off my body”
“I’m here for my future”
“Dump the Trump”
“Hitler is not my president”
“There comes a time when silence is betrayal”
“We’re not going away”

There were more than 670 planned events in the U.S. for the Women’s March and in 70 other cities around the world. Estimates are that close to four million people—of all ages and nationalities, women and men—demonstrated in hundreds of cities and towns across this country and more than 250,000 in other countries. People came out in major cities as well as many, many smaller cities and towns. All this underscores the fact that many, many millions of people really oppose Donald Trump and what his regime represents.

Among the Women’s March protests in the U.S.: 500,000 in Washington, DC; 200,000+ in New York City; 250,000 in Chicago; 100,000 in Denver; 125,000 in Boston; 500,000+ in Los Angeles; 100,000+ in the San Francisco Bay Area; 25,000 in San Jose; 50,000 in Philadelphia; 50,000 in Seattle; 75,000 in Portland, Oregon; 22,000 in Houston; 20,000 in Phoenix; 15,000 in Cleveland; 60,000 in Atlanta. Also in St. Louis; Columbia, South Carolina; Park City, Utah (at the Sundance Film Festival); Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Albany and Ithaca, New York; Sacramento, California; Nashville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; San Antonio, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; Juneau, Alaska; and every state in the country.

Demonstrations in solidarity took place on every continent in the world. They included: Auckland, New Zealand; Nairobi, Kenya; Mexico City; Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich, Germany; London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh (Scotland), and Belfast (Northern Ireland), UK; Paris and Marseille, France; Barcelona, Spain; Brussels, Belgium; Dublin, Ireland; Budapest, Hungary; Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Prague, Czech Republic; Geneva, Switzerland; Kolkata, India; Bangkok, Thailand; Tokyo, Japan; Sydney and Melbourne, Australia; Athens, Greece; Florence and Rome, Italy; Oslo, Norway; on an expedition ship in Paradise Bay, Antarctica.

Washington, DC

Sunsara Taylor and RefuseFascism at the Women's March

Washington, DC