On Jan. 21, the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, over 200,000 people are expected to take to the streets of Washington D.C. to make their voices heard for human rights.
The movement started with Hawaiian grandmother Teresa Shook, who posted on Facebook in the early hours of Nov. 9 stating that she wanted to protest against a Trump presidency. The idea rapidly grew as thousands expressed their desire to join her, eventually becoming the Women’s March on Washington. Today, six hundred and sixteen sister marches have been organized around the world—anyone can organize a march by contacting the organization. From Montreal to Myanmar, an estimated 1.3 million people are expected to protest, some of whom will be McGill students. Several buses to transport protesters from major Canadian cities to Washington sold out, including every Montreal bus.
The Women’s March on Washington isn’t just for women; hundreds of minority groups have partnered with the March, including Planned Parenthood and the Muslim Women’s Alliance. Nor is the March specifically anti-Trump; it began out of a concern that women’s rights would be at risk under a Trump presidency, but has since grown into a movement calling for governments to respect the rights and freedoms of all genders, sexualities and religious groups, and those with disabilities. As its website states, “We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all.”
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The Montreal sister march—Manif des Femmes Montreal—will take place from 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 21 at Place-des-Arts. Follow the Tribune on Twitter for live updates from the March on Washington.
This is so brilliant. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/d0Ox7qJiqG
— Greg James (@gregjames) January 21, 2017
The Montreal Women's March just keeps getting bigger. Come down if you can! #womensmarch pic.twitter.com/KsSpjIEF70
— Young Galaxy (@younggalaxy) January 21, 2017
Women's March Montreal #WomensMarch #manifdesfemmes pic.twitter.com/WgMZ5r1Wjx
— Charlie Fidelman (@HealthIssues) January 21, 2017
