FOLLOWING DONALD TRUMP’S SWEARING-IN ON FRIDAY, WOMEN – AND MEN -- STAGED WHAT MANY ARE SAYING IS THE LARGEST PROTEST IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT WAS CALLED THE WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON – AND IT BROUGHT AN ESTIMATED 470-THOUSAND LARGELY PINK-CLAD DEMONSTRATORS TO OUR NATION’S CAPITOL – BUT SISTER MARCHES ALSO TOOK PLACE IN MORE THAN 500 CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE U.S; AND OVER 100 CITIES WORLDWIDE.
EARLIER, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT MARCHING IN A PARADE TO CELEBRATE A NEW PRESIDENT – BUT AS THE WOMEN’S MARCH DEMONSTRATES, MARCHING CAN ALSO BE DONE IN PROTEST TO DRAW NATIONAL ATTENTION TO ISSUES.
MUCH OF OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY HAS BEEN SHAPED BY THIS KIND OF PEACEFUL PROTEST. MANY OF THESE MARCHERS WERE UPSET BY STATEMENTS ABOUT WOMEN AND MINORITIES THAT THE NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT HAS MADE IN THE PAST, BUT THE MARCHERS CAME OUT FOR MANY CAUSES, AS CO-FOUNDER BREANNE BUTLER EXPLAINS:
BREANNE BUTLER/ CO-FOUNDER/NATIONAL & GLOBAL COORDINATOR, WOMEN'S DAY MARCH: "OUR ISSUES ARE VARIED AND MANY. I THINK IF YOU SAW ANY OF THE SIGNS YESTERDAY, THERE WAS SIGNS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, THERE WAS SIGNS ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. EVERY ISSUE, YOU REALLY SAW IT ON THE STREETS AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD."
UP NEXT, ANDREW SPENCER TAKES US TO SOME OF THE WOMEN’S MARCHES IN CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD.
MANY CLAD IN PINK, WOMEN GATHERED IN WASHINGTON IN STAGGERING NUMBERS TO MARCH FOR CIVIL RIGHTS...
( WOMAN IN CROWD ) "THIS ISN'T A FEMINIST MOVEMENT; IT'S A HUMANIST MOVEMENT. IT'S NOT ABOUT -- IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WOMEN. IT'S ABOUT ALL RIGHTS." ...AND AS A REBUKE OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP...
( WOMAN IN CROWD ) "WE JUST LOST DIGNITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE. WE JUST LOST DIGNITY. WE JUST LOST HOPE."
THE MASS OF PEOPLE GREW LARGER THAN THE ROUTE THEY INTENDED TO MARCH. THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN BOSTON, WHERE THE POLICE CHIEF NOTED THAT THE INTENDED PATH OF THE MARCHERS WOULD BE -- QUOTE -- "LIKE A SNAKE EATING ITS TAIL."
( SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN / (D) MASSACHUSETTS ) "WE WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING TO ENSURE EQUALITY FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS."
DENVER... CHICAGO... PHOENIX... ATLANTA...
LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT A LITANY OF ISSUES -- INCLUDING WOMEN'S HEALTH, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND IMMIGRATION POLICY...
THE MARCHES WEREN'T LIMITED TO THE U-S. THEY HAPPENED AROUND THE WORLD, WITH PEOPLE MARCHING IN MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA... AND SPAIN, BELGIUM, AND NORWAY...
...AND WHERE PROTESTS AGAINST TRUMP ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AT TIMES, GOT OUT OF HAND...SATURDAY'S MOVEMENT OFTEN CARRIED A MESSAGE OF UNITY.
( VAN JONES / CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR ) "JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY MADE A BAD VOTE DOESN'T MAKE THEM A BAD PERSON, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE US INTO BAD PEOPLE EITHER. I'M NOT GONNA LET A BAD VOTE HAVE US BECOME BAD PEOPLE. WE'RE GONNA FIGHT FOR THEM ANYHOW."
I'M ANDREW SPENCER, REPORTING
THANKS, ANDREW.
OHIO ALSO SAW LARGE DEMONSTRATIONS IN DAYTON, WITH 3,000 PEOPLE, IN CINCINNATI WITH 5,000 PEOPLE, AND IN CLEVELAND – WHERE POLICE ESTIMATED A CROWD OF 15,000 PEACEFUL PROTESTORS.
Instructional Links
Website: Women’s March on Washington | Official website
Website Article: Newsela, On Trump's First Day as President, Half a Million Protest Against Him | Leveled article with writing prompt and quiz
Website Article: Newsela, Eleven Previous Protest Marches in the Nation’s Capitol | Leveled article with writing prompt and quiz
Interactive Timeline: Click, the Ongoing Feminist Revolution, Women in Politics, a Very Short History | Short articles with hyperlinks.