Kim Wozniak felt compelled to appear in Franklin Park for Saturday's People's March for a variety of reasons. She said she has a granddaughter who “deserves better” and feels women are treated as second-class citizens.
But talking about the looming tariffs under President-elect Trump and how they could affect her life gave her voice strength.
“I'm a small business owner who imports from eight other countries, and if he starts imposing tariffs, my small family business will be in jeopardy,” said Wozniak, who owns a business in Wisconsin that sells art supplies to artists. “We may not be able to survive,” he said. “It's tough. It's really tough.”
Wozniak was just one of many demonstrators who gathered in Washington to march against the president-elect as he prepares for a second term in office, but also on a wide range of issues. are speaking out about it.
“Back in 2017, we made history,” Women's March Managing Director Tamika Middleton told the crowd Saturday, referring to the estimated 500,000 people who marched in the city at the time. “And today, we are here to create the future.”
On a drizzly Saturday, thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of downtown Washington for a people's march organized by a coalition of groups including Women's March. union promoted the event as “A day of joyful resistance, community building, and powerful action.”
As they meandered toward the Lincoln Memorial, rally participants chanted phrases such as “Believe in Black Women!” And “Hey hey! Hoho! Donald Trump must go! ”
Pink “Pussy” hats worn to denounce President Trump's infamous comments about groping women in the leaked “Access Hollywood” tape dotted the crowd, prompting people to “love Trump more” They held placards that read, “My body is my choice.'' Don't you have a uterus? No opinions. ”
As demonstrators gathered to listen to speakers, supporters urged participants to “take space” and spoke about the need for clemency for those deemed unjustly imprisoned, citing a number of issues announced this year. He said that he promoted a permanent ceasefire in Gaza based on the ceasefire agreement signed by the United States. week.
“Today, we have a choice: accept the future that has been imposed on us, or fight for the future we want,” Middleton told the crowd as she outlined her vision for the future.
Activists and advocates also slammed President Trump during the speech.
Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, told the audience that Trump may want to undo key Democratic climate change and health policies signed into law in 2022; We know what happened when they tried to undo Mr. Obama's signature accomplishments.” Affordable Care Act.
“Let me tell you this: They attack us only because they are afraid of us. I know that when he was in public office, we sued him hundreds of times, and we won, “hundreds of times,'' he said.
Organizers had expected 50,000 people to take part in the march. That's in contrast to the estimated 500,000 people who demonstrated during the Women's March on Washington in 2017, at the beginning of President Trump's first term.
Some experts have suggested a variety of reasons for the low turnout this time, including that supporters may be worried about the protests and possible fatigue among some. It also includes the idea that they are employing a variety of strategies to counter them.
“The number that really stands out to me is that 90 million people stayed home,” said Analilia Mejia, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, when asked about the difference in numbers. -Told Hill.
“My focus, like many organizers, is: What was keeping so many communities from participating? What were they not hearing? What do they need to address?'' said Mayer, who served as Sen. Bernie Sanders' national political director during his 2020 presidential campaign.
The People's March comes as the Democratic Party grapples with a disappointing November general election, with party members showing insufficient empathy for how voters view the Democratic party brand and issues such as the cost of living. He claims that this was the reason for his defeat.
As President Biden soon leaves the White House and Democrats prepare to choose the next Democratic National Committee chairman, the party is also suffering from a lack of leadership.
While it may seem like a dark time for some, that didn't stop people from traveling from across the country to visit there on Saturday.
Anna Bachmann, who came from Cleveland and wore a pink “Pussy” knit hat, said she wanted to participate in the 2017 Women's March but was unable to because of work commitments, so she came to Saturday's event. . She said it was important for her to make her voice heard today.
“It certainly felt like half a million people were marching while we were there,” she said, and the sun was no longer behind the clouds.
