The “pink pussyhat” became a symbol of both dissent and empowerment across America. On January 21, millions of Americans wearing the pink-knitted hat packed streets in Washington, DC and across 600 cities in the US and on seven continents, including Antarctica. The sea of humanity that brought the US capital to a halt outshone, in spirit and numbers, the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States on January 20. They marched for different reasons. Protection of women’s rights, health care, Islamophobia and immigration topped the list. Their message to the new president and his team was clear: the fight for the soul of America is on.
Fathers with kids on their shoulders, breast-feeding moms with diaper bags and strollers, working moms, grandparents with grandchildren holding signs that read “Now you’ve ticked off Grandma!” and people of all races, religions and skin colour packed Capitol Hill. Among them was Keena Lipsitz, 44, political science professor at Queens College in New York. “I brought my 9-year-old daughter, Mika, from New Jersey to let the Republicans know they do not have a mandate,” she said. “I think the public needs to beat the war drum about how the new government’s actions will affect everyone, especially women and children.”
Unsurprisingly, it was women with their children in tow who appeared in droves for the march. The surprise element was the significant number of men who did, too. Most marchers admitted having concerns about violence that often mars rallies. “But, this is one battle we just cannot afford to sit out,” said Lipsitz.
For Hillary Scharmann, 32, of Chicago, the reasons for marching were personal. The mother of two who works as a birth and post-partum doula marched to let the new administration know that women would fight its regressive stance on women’s reproductive health. President Trump’s administration plans to defund planned parenthood and enforce stringent abortion laws among other measures. “A woman’s freedom of choice over her reproductive system is her fundamental right,” said Scharmann. “We have not lapsed back on the decades of progress we have made vis-à-vis women’s rights yet. But, it’s scary it could come to that under Trump. For that not to happen, we fight today.”
Ten-year-old Californian friends S. Shanza and Hayden Banjany Stewart marched for their own reasons. “I want to stand up for myself as an American Muslim and let the world know President Trump is wrong about Muslims,” said Shanza. Hayden marched alongside her with moms, Tammy Banjany and Elisa Stewart, who attended to express solidarity for the LGBT community and other groups at risk from a conservative new administration.
The need to express and empower is precisely what brought Reenie Panzini, 31, from Lancaster in Pennsylvania to the march. “I came to the turf of Donald Trump to let him know I am not going to stand it [his views]. I march for little girls to know they can still be, believe and do whatever they want,” she said forcefully. Panzini’s older child is autistic and she is apprehensive about “finding viable schooling options under the new government’s confusing education policies”. What does she think drove the million turnouts?
Richard Davis, 65, professor of religion and Asian studies and director, religion programme at Bard College in New York, has the answer. “Trump has brought out anxiety and fear. We march to dispel the fear that we will not have a voice because our new president is ignoring a large segment of people and their concerns,” said Davis, who was inspired by the “spirit of gentle solidarity” he witnessed at the march. Only four arrests were made despite millions marching across America. In contrast, more than 100 people were arrested for violent protests on the day of President Trump’s inauguration.
So, what brought Davis to the women’s march? “It is merely titled women’s march, but you don’t have to be a woman to come to it,” said Davis. “I’m hoping he [Trump] fails miserably. Because if he succeeds, given his views, he will destroy the country.” Davis and all other marchers guaranteed that Trump would not take the march seriously. “But hopefully those in the inner circle will. I want them to recognise the great concerns of the significant number of American population,” said Davis.
Others present expressed similar sentiments, some even accused the new administration of “gaslighting”, a form of psychological abuse in which the abuser denies the victim’s reality, causing the person to question their memory and perceptions.
American history, agreed all marchers, had never seen a reaction like this to a president. “President Trump is intellectually lazy and does not understand democratic principles true to their form,” said Lipsitz.The concerns that brought her to the march include Trump’s stand on defunding environmental protection agency and his statement that he would consider pulling the United States out of the international security alliance NATO.
Davis best summed up the sentiments of many as the march ended: “People came to DC because they are concerned about the direction of this country and the way President Trump has conducted himself. So much power in small childish hands. Scary!”
