‘Make America sane again’ ... Scotland’s women send their message to world
BY JUDITH DUFFY
WHEN school pupil Leah Higgins decided to organise a women’s march against Trump in Scotland, she expected around 30 friends to join her. Yesterday, however, around 2,000 women, men and children gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh for a static protest as part of the worldwide movement standing against the sexism, racism and homophobia associated with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
The demonstrators carried messages such as “Girls just wanna have fundamental rights”, “Refugees welcome” and “Make America Sane Again”. One placard had a picture of Star Wars character Princess Leia saying: “A woman’s place is in the Resistance”.
Others took on a distinctly mocking tone to get their point across. “Grab our pussies and we’ll break your tiny little hands” stated one message aimed at Trump, while another referenced his hair and one of the most-famous protest songs in the world with the phrase “We shall overcomb”.
Outlander actress Caitriona Balfe had announced on Thursday she was joining the Edinburgh march to “join with my American sisters to stand up for women’s rights” and tweeted pictures from the demonstration.
Higgins, from Strathaven in South Lanarkshire. who turned 17 last Friday, said she had heard about the women’s march in Washington and realised she would have to travel to London to take part in the global protest.
She then decided to organise a demonstration for the first time, prompted by the thought that Scotland deserved its own “shout out” in the women’s march movement.
She said: “We have people coming from all over – I even had a couple of people who live in America and just so happen to be in Edinburgh today telling me that it was amazing there was a march they could get to.
“I feel it is very important not just to post on Facebook now and again but to actually come together and show the sheer volume of people standing against what [Trump] is saying.”
Higgins said it was a time of “political darkness”, but added that the positive side was Trump was acting as a catalyst for people to stand against all forms of discrimination.
Her friend and co-organiser Calum Stewart, 16, said he felt it was important to take part as a member of the gay community and get across the message that “equality affects all of us”. He said: “The march began in response to the way in which Trump carried out his campaign, with the misogyny and bigotry that was present ... But I would also like to look at the positives we can get out of it – hopefully, it will bring more attention to women’s rights. For example, Scotland has the largest gender pay-gap in the UK. There is lot of talking we need to do about women’s rights, as we have still got a long, long way to go.”
There were also many seasoned activists present, including Naomi McAuliffe, programme director for Amnesty International Scotland.
“There is a really strong sense of solidarity with the women who are marching in Washington and a real defiance as well. I have been to a lot of women’s marches in my time – and this is one of the biggest I have ever been to.”
McAuliffe said the impact of the march would be felt across the world, with activists realising they were not alone: “Our message is about standing together in solidarity against hate.”