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Women’s March takes downtown LA

Nasty women and bad hombres, along with thousands of pink “pussy hat” wearing attendees, marched on Saturday for The Women’s March LA in response to President Trump’s inauguration.

The Women’s March LA was part of a worldwide resistance day following President Trump’s inauguration, people across the country united nationally and globally in solidarity against racism and sexism.

The event participants met at Pershing Square Park at 9 a.m. with plans to march to L.A. City Hall. At Pershing Square attendees rallied to make posters, visit informational booths, purchase event T-shirts, socialize with fellow attendees and hear celebrity and political speakers.

Dove Rose Grennan​, The Women’s March LA’s head organizer, confirmed successful numbers for Saturday’s event. The LAPD stated that there was between 500,000 to 750,000 people including children of all ages and differently-abled people using canes and walkers, as well as people in wheelchairs who did not fail to march the long blocks alongside others.

Grennen did not anticipate the monumental attendance, causing a change in routes. The march was delayed and attendees were unable to march uniformly because of overcrowding and speakers running long. Participants broke into separate walking groups that marched different streets all leading up to the route’s original endpoint. Many groups decided to keep marching past City Hall onto the bridges looking over the 101 freeway, as well as to La Placita Olvera and Union Station to get drivers involved.

Participants marched carrying Trump piñatas and signs that read “keep your tiny hands off my body,” among other phrases directed at President Trump.

Before the march, the event hosted guest speakers including California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, L.A. City Councilmember Paul Koretz and President Maria Brenes of InnerCity Struggle, a group that works with community residents to promote safe, healthy and non-violent communities.

Grennan​ stated on the event’s Facebook page that the marches were meant to remind Trump supporters to respect, honor and protect diversity and freedom. She also said that change comes from taking positive, constructive action, and that she hoped that people would find solace and strength through the shared humanity that people felt at the marches.

“They are not alone, for those who feel marginalized or threatened, we have their back and we will rise them up — educating this many people on one day globally to rise to action is the start,” Grennan said. “We are the majority. We are a safe space, we can continue to break glass ceilings.”

The Women’s March LA came to be when Grennan, along with other people who thought they needed to go to Washington D.C. to be involved with the women’s march, came together on a Facebook event page, Grennan said

Grennan​ asserted that The Women’s March worldwide was not a protest, but a non-partisan and peaceful event. The march was free and public and it welcomed not only women but people of all ages, ethnicities and genders.

“I’m here today to show my daughter what is important for the future and how she can help make it a better place as well of how all of us have to do our part,” said L.A. native Aaron West.

Cal State Long Beach’s Center for Latino Community Health as well as La Raza Student Association organized groups of students to commute from Long Beach to the event and march together at The Women’s March LA.

L.A. City Councilmember Paul Koretz stated that the message across the march was that fighting for women’s rights is fighting for human rights.

“When women rise, Los Angeles rises … when Los Angeles rises California rises, and when California rises the entire world rises,” Koretz said.

Many people were there to support not just women’s rights, but civil rights for all.

“My parents are from Mexico, I’m here today for equal rights, peace and love, we have come so far from our immigrant families and ancestors who fought for our freedom—Si se puede!,” L.A. native Melanie Moreno said. “Power is in numbers … we can prevail.”

Brenes stated that attendees and speakers wanted to show that the L.A. women’s movement is different than anywhere else in the country.

“This is a city that is powered by immigrant women by minority women,” Brenes said. “We need to support young women of color.”

Assemblymember Cristina Garcia emphasized that the feminism movement includes different women with different wants, needs and goals in life. Garcia stated that women have the right to be and do whatever they want to whether it be stay-at-home moms or choose to pursue their careers.

“Que vivan las mujeres! [Praise women!],” García exclaimed.

Grennan said The Women’s March LA was committed to the inclusion of the differently-abled community. The Women’s March LA worked with the Westside Center for Independent Living to improve accessibility and create a more positive experience for disabled marchers.

All stages featured reserved space for marchers with disabilities and seating was available upon request from any volunteer. Carts were available for marchers with mobility disabilities to help moving between stages and to the vendor tents.

American Sign Language interpreters were available at all stages throughout the program and all stages had open captions.

The organizers of The Women’s March LA worked closely with the LAPD and City of LA Fire Department to ensure a peaceful and safe march for all. They also did not post the two-mile route from Pershing Square to City Hall due to safety concerns.

Speakers assured attendees that the fight for human rights did not end Saturday and that they should continue fighting. Speakers encouraged attendees to not rest after the day’s end, but to continue being involved in the human right’s movement and that change will come.

ABC News reports that more than 1 million people rallied at women’s marches around the world and there were zero arrests made at The Women’s March LA.

One Comment

  1. Avatar
    Martha Gonzalez

    Dove was not the lead organizer. All permits and meeting took place with lead organizer Emiliana Guereca a latina, here we have another white woman taking credit .

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