Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Celebs go off script with anti-Trump rally in Park City
We Shall Overcomb! A crippling snowstorm that turned Interstate 80, the main route from Salt Lake City, into a parking lot couldn’t stop several thousand protesters from chanting and carrying signs like the one quoted above during the March on Main.
The rally, supporting everything from the rights of women and minorities to the environment, was organized by comedian Chelsea Handler as one of Saturday’s roughly 350 offshoots of the Women’s March on Washington.
“We are all here for the same reason today,” Handler told the outdoor rally that followed the march through the heart of Park City, “to demonstrate respect for our freedom, human rights, safety and health — otherwise known as things we thought we were done marching for but apparently were not.”
The march was not affiliated with the Sundance Film Festival, but took place during one of its busiest days and brought it to a virtual stop.
John Legend, Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart were spotted in the crowd — made up of women of all ages, families, single men, even pets — that was peaceful and positive. Many of the marchers wore pink hats and “I’m With Meryl” stickers, supporting Meryl Streep’s speech against then-President-elect Donald Trump during the Golden Globes.
“We recognize that women’s rights is the same thing as human rights,” said actor Benjamin Bratt. “At the end of the day, we’re all family, we’re all related, we’re all connected. We can’t survive without each other.”
It was 25 degrees and snowing during the rally, a result of the storm that led police to force cars without snow tires to turn around on I-80 and return to Salt Lake City. But at least the spirits were warm as each speaker was greeted with cheers and thick-gloved applause.
Former “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams, whose film, “The Incredible Jessica James,” is Sundance’s closing night attraction, injected a sense of humor into the proceedings while talking about being the descendant of slaves.
“I am my ancestors’ dream,” Williams said. “They fought for me to be able to stand here in the cold ass snow, in front of a bunch of white people wearing Uggs.”
Dolores Huerta, who cofounded the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez and is the subject of the documentary “Dolores,” which Carlos Santana executive produced, had the crowd chanting “Si, se puede,” the association’s motto, which loosely translates as “Yes, it can be done.”
Actresses Connie Britton and Aisha Tyler led participants in a variation of the oath pledging to defend the Constitution that President Donald Trump took on Friday.
And actress Maria Bello, following graphic opening remarks about the part of a woman that Trump famously bragged about having grabbed, claimed to have just gotten out of bed for the first time since Election Day.
“When they try to punch you by denigrating entire religions and sexes and races and beliefs and try to tell us once again who we are allowed to love,” she urged, “punch them back by speaking truth to power.”