WOMEN’S DAY DESCENDS UPON CAPITAL
WASHINGTON — In a massive show of defiance to President Trump and his new administration, hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of the nation’s capital yesterday for the Women’s March on Washington, where demonstrators protested not only women’s rights issues, but also decried Trump’s policies on health care, immigration, foreign policy and climate.
The march drew celebrities such as Cher and Madonna as well as activists including Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Michael Moore and the Mothers of the Movement — a group of black women whose sons and daughters were victims of fatal violence at the hands of police.
The event, which was expected to draw more than 200,000 marchers, drew far more people than expected.
By 8 a.m., thousands of people could be seen streaming out of Union Station, where they arrived in the city by train, subway and buses.
By 11 a.m., Independence Avenue — the starting place for the march from Capitol Hill to the Ellipse near the White
House — was mobbed by crowds of marchers who were standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
By late morning, city officials estimated the turnout to be 500,000 — more than twice than what was expected. Even after that estimate was released, thousands of people continued to pour out of nearby Metro subway stations to head toward the gathering.
The crowds grew so large that the original march route had to be abandoned because the entire length was filled with standing participants.
But organizers continued with the march, urging participants to take alternate routes. Many walked down the National Mall and along side streets, grinding downtown traffic to a halt.
Susan Ryles traveled from St. Simons Island, Ga., to march because she was disturbed by policy proposals floated by Trump during the campaign, including his calls for mass deportations and a plan to create a Muslim registry.
“I’m 60 years old, and I have never felt more strongly. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” Ryles said, as tears rolled down her face. She described a conversation her grandson had with her daughter about his Uruguayan-American best friend.
“After Trump won, he asked his mother, ‘Are they going to send Eric back?’ ” Ryles said, wiping her cheek. “How do you explain that to a 12-year-old?”
Gina Felgenhauer, who traveled overnight from, Eureka, Ill., called Trump “a bully.”
“I’m a school social worker and I work with kids, and I just don’t want that to become normal,” she said.
“I want there to be civility in how you interact with other people.”
Elena Perez, 32, said she traveled from New Mexico with her 5-year-old daughter to teach her an important message.
“I came to the United States more than 10 years ago because I believe it is a great country. I still think it’s great, because of us,” said Peres, a native Colombian, as she motioned to the throngs of people filling Independence Avenue near the Capitol.
“I want my daughter to understand that,” she said, “and not to ever feel afraid because of what this president says about Latinos.”
Thousands of marchers wore “pussyhats” — pink knit caps with cat-like ears — as part of a collective effort to take back a term Trump used in a 2005 conversation caught on tape on the set of “Access Hollywood.”
Many protest signs also referred to Trump’s remarks, some reading: “Our rights aren’t up for grabs, and neither are we!”