After US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, millions of people across the world gathered to protest him and his proposed policies on January 21. There were marches in about 60 countries. Students and faculty at ASL were among the 100,000 individuals to attend the London march.
The protests were mainly fueled by Trump’s controversial remarks about women, but people also held signs to speak their minds about climate change, abortion, LGBT rights, and immigration.
Some of the signs held read, “Women’s rights are human rights,” and “Build the wall around Trump,” and “Climate change is real,” and “Orange will never be the new black.”
In London, the protesters marched from the U.S. Embassy to Trafalgar Square. When asked about why she chose to attend the march, music teacher Ms. Lisa Ross said, “The opportunity to stand up and do a bit of yelling with like minded people sounded like the best possible catharsis to fight that angst and anger and sadness I’ve felt.”
Head of school Mrs. Coreen Hester said, “For me, it was not a political statement, as much as a statement… to governments all over the world that there are many of us that are committed to human rights issues.” People marched for different reasons, but every driven person had a mission to be heard.
The march was a way for people to unite and demonstrate their beliefs. Eighth grader Eva Noel said, “It was the most united I’ve ever felt with the world. Everyone around us was fighting and marching for the same thing. It was truly an experience I’ll never forget.”
Even though it was a women’s march, men and boys attended as well. Eighth grader Jonas Kolaja also participated in the march and he said, “I thought it was moving because children and grown men were also there, and it felt powerful.”
When asked about what made the march special, Ms. Ross said, “Feeling people crying with you, or shouting with you, or just smiling and hugging each other.”
Even though the marchers can’t impeach Trump, the women’s marches gave people the power to disrupt President Trump’s first day in office. “[The march] encouraged and developed a sense of hope for the future, because there is a collaboration and unity of vision,” said Mrs. Hester.
Hundreds of marches were held internationally, and the voices of the people who partook were acknowledged worldwide.
