Women Fight Back
UPDATE: 01/25/17 (Paragraph added; Location of marches included) UPDATE: 01/30/17 (Quotes and images)
On the morning of January 20, 2017, several protests began nationwide after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Protesters in Washington, D.C. dressed in all black resorted to violence and destroyed several windows and doors belonging to a number of banks and businesses. They also blocked streets in front of the Trump Tower. In the Bay Area, Caltrain was shut down after several protesters held hands across the train tracks.
Donald Trump has plans to repeal Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and Planned Parenthood as well. The ACA is a federal statute made by Barack Obama in 2010 which allows eligible Americans to receive healthcare at a very affordable cost. Many families are afraid they will no longer have healthcare, but Trump’s administration must replace the ACA before repealing it.
Planned Parenthood is a health center that informs and has resources covering reproductive and sexual health. The center provides access to birth control, medication to relieve sexual diseases, urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment, and more. By entirely exterminating healthcare, many people will be left misinformed about reproductive and sexual health. They will also be unable to access the resources Planned Parenthood offers to the general public. President Trump has also made lewd comments about women and stereotyped people of color.
The Women’s March took place on January 21, 2017—one day after President Trump’s inauguration. The march locations in the Bay Area were in Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. Other Women’s March took place all around the world; in Washington, D.C the march headed straight to the White House.
Ms. Reichmuth, a teacher at Lincoln went to the Women’s March in Washington D.C, and said,”The march was well organized, extremely energetic, and full of hope. Also, the turnout was amazing! Close to 500,000 people from all over the world attended the March in D.C., there were another 673 “sister marches,” and nearly 5 million people, spread across 7 continents, that proved their support for the causes they believed in.”
The event was a national movement to bring people together and empower one another who support justice, individual rights, and civil liberties. According to the Women’s March Bay Area website, their mission was to, “..stand together in solidarity for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families–recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.”
The March in San Jose began at City Hall and ended at Cesar Chavez Plaza. An estimated 30,000 people participated in the Women’s march in San Jose. Sam Liccardo, the mayor of San Jose made an appearance. Women, men, and children held creative signs such as, “Girls Just Want to Have FUN-damental rights.” Crowds shouted phrases like, “The future is female,” and “Women’s rights are human rights.” To support the movement nationwide, many protesters wore pink hats with cat ears to represent females. The march ended at Cesar Chavez Plaza and a stage was presented in the middle, many community members of San Jose spoke about how empowering the march was. The members also spoke about coming together as a community to fight hate that affects our communities.
The march also had a photo booth area where volunteers took pictures of people who attended the event. Organization booths stood all around Cesar Chavez park with information about housing for low income families, health care for low income families, resources for women of low income, and more.
The Women’s March was a historical event nation wide because millions of people attended and stood up for what was right. What were you doing when the Women’s March took place?
Alicia is a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School. She has one baby sister. She has a big supportive and caring family that all live in Northern California....
