What a day!

On the 21st of March, we saw one of the most massive and powerful events: The Women’s march in Washington. It was the most crowded since the Vietnam War, more than 500,000 people took to the streets and took downtown Washington in a historic women’s march convened to protest against the arrival of Donald Trump to the White House. The call was received in at least 13 countries and similar marches are expected in others.


It was a day full of speeches to support the role of women in American society and to reject the violent and “macho” mentality promoted by Trump, among others, and a start to the struggle for equality and solidarity with people of all races, origin, and gender that feel threatened by the new president’s government. There were those seeing their reproductive rights and civil rights at risk: the right to health and the right to a quality public education, among others. This march was also a struggle for the defense of environmental justice, pacifism, solidarity with refugees, immigrants, the disabled, and religious freedom, along with the rejection of racism, wage inequality, sexual abuse, xenophobia, and homophobia. I saw signs for the defense of human rights of everyone, all organized by women around the country.

The pink hats that almost everyone was wearing was an initiative that referred to reproductive rights, something that Trump intends to eliminate, along with the elimination of the Obamacare Health Act, in reference to former president, Barack Obama. 

The public marched and the emotional speeches from Saturday signify a first step towards a change from the very heart of the population. Many artists showed up and stood strong for their position: “The revolution begins here and today. The struggle for our right to be who we are, free, begins today. We are not scared. We are not alone. We will not go back,” which is what Madonna shouted onstage.

An initial march on reproductive rights that has become something much more universal, where thousands of people are now aware of the urgency to take action!  And so it was demonstrated on Saturday, faith in a future full of equality and respect that will make thousands more walk many more times.

 

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