By Maya Pottiger

On Jan. 21, the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, more than 500,000 people marched on Washington, D.C. as part of the Women’s March on Washington.

After a morning full of speeches and performances, the march was set to begin at 1:15 p.m. However, the organizers declared that there were too many people to go through with the march, as everyone was already standing on the route.

Along with the Women’s March on Washington, many major cities around the world held sister marches, including Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, London and Paris.

Kat Filipov, 20, Salisbury, MD

Kat Filipov, 20, is a student at the University of Maryland and attended the Women's March on Washington with her mother. (Maya Potter/Bloc Editor-in-Chief)
Kat Filipov, 20, is a student at the University of Maryland and attended the Women’s March on Washington with her mother. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“I always felt super passionate about women’s rights, and I feel that now that we have someone in office that’s made a lot of women feel scared and threatened and that those rights don’t exist, it’s very important to remind everyone that we are still here despite a misogynistic leader that might want to insinuate otherwise.”

Molly Chehak, Silver Spring, MD

Molly Chehak, from Silver Spring, traveled to the march with her family from Charlottesville, VA, and Los Angeles, CA. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Molly Chehak (center), Silver Spring, traveled to the march with her family from Charlottesville, VA, and Los Angeles, CA. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“I came because I can’t stand by while someone who denigrates women and who is elected to the highest office in the land and everything that represents has to be resisted. I feel like I am marching right now for every time I have experienced sexism in the workplace, and I see the higher qualified, more experienced, more insightful woman not be empowered in favor of, in this case, a dangerous person, but in many cases, a less qualified, incompetent person.”  

Kelsey Ryland, 32, Washington, D.C. 

Kelsey Ryland, 32, traveled "about two miles" to the march with her friends to celebrate something hopeful. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Kelsey Ryland, 32, traveled “about two miles” to the march with her friends to celebrate something hopeful. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“I came out here today because I believe in abortion access for women no matter how much they make, where they live or where their insurance comes from, and I wanted to be out here with my friends to all be together and to celebrate something that feels hopeful.”

Nancy Strauss, 70, Santa Fe, NM

Nancy Strauss, 70, stood in a line with women holding up posters of historical women. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Nancy Strauss, 70, stood in a line with women holding up posters of historical women. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“I saw it online and I said to a friend in New Mexico, ‘Let’s go. Do you have a place to stay?’ She said she has friends in Baltimore, and she has a school. The kids at the school helped make us our signs. The idea came from people we admired. They carried us, we carry them.”

Michelle Wilson, 60, Saint Louis, MO

Michelle Wilson, 60, traveled from Saint Louis with Scott Wilson and Michelle Beddor to stand in solidarity at the march. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Michelle Wilson, 60, traveled from Saint Louis with Scott Wilson and Michelle Beddor to stand in solidarity at the march. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“Liberal democracy is at risk. Women especially are at risk in this administration. I feel like we can make a difference if we all stand together, and we’re gonna send a pretty powerful message today that he better watch himself.”

Sergio Waisman, 49, Montgomery County, MD

Sergio Waisman, 49, wanted to stand with all those who feel threatened by President Trump. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Sergio Waisman, 49, wanted to stand with all those who feel threatened by President Trump. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“To join the march at the protest against the illegitimate Trump presidency, and to show support for all of the women, immigrants, Muslims and threatened minority groups, and to start the resistance.”

Mehreen Tanir, 40, Washington, D.C.

Mehren Tania, 40, and her husband Talal moved to the District from Pakistan. They brought their daughter to the march so she could feel empowered. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Mehren Tania, 40, and her husband Talal moved to the District from Pakistan. They brought their daughter to the march so she could feel empowered. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“My daughter has been really upset about what she’s been hearing about Donald Trump, and I hope this way she feels a little empowered that she’s sending out a message and that she’s doing something about the fear that she’s been feeling. I thought it was very important for her to feel like she can fight back all the negativity that she’s been hearing at school. For her, I really wanted to bring her out and see how many people feel the way she feels.”

Rachel Roza, 30, Cleveland, OH

(Left to right) Rachel Roza, 30, Alese Russel, 28, and Kate Russel, 30, all traveled from Cleveland because they are worried about their own freedom, as well as the freedom of those they love. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
(Left to right) Rachel Roza, 30, Alese Russel, 28, and Kate Russel, 30, all traveled from Cleveland because they are worried about their own freedom, as well as the freedom of those they love. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“We’re just here for solidarity of all these women and hoping that something will come out of this and that people will get more involved in their community.”

Audrey Mader, 15, Olney, PA

Audrey Madar, 15, thinks that President Trump does not share the same values as she does, and she wanted to take a stand against that. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Audrey Mader, 15, thinks that President Trump does not share the same values as she does, and she wanted to take a stand against that. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“This march is important to me because I don’t think our new president doesn’t support what I believe in, and I think that women and LGBTQA+ is being ignored by that … I think it’s really important.”

Larry Maloney, 54, Phoenix, AZ

Larry Maloney, 54, attended the march with his sister, daughter and niece to show his support. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
Larry Maloney, 54, attended the march with his sister, daughter and niece to show his support. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“I’m here with my sister and my daughter and my niece, and I feel it’s important that, no matter what this election was about, it’s not about how Donald Trump believes women should be treated.”

John Powell, 48, Clint, NY

(Left to right) Jane Springer, 47, Morrison Powell, 13, John Powell 48, Minh Nguyen, 21, and Araseli Mendez, 21, traveled together from Clint, NY. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)
(Left to right) Jane Springer, 47, Morrison Powell, 13, John Powell 48, Minh Nguyen, 21, and Araseli Mendez, 21, traveled together from Clint, NY. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

“I came to support women in the wake of what our new president has said. I thought it was important to come out and counter that.”

Featured Photo Credit: On Jan. 21, more than 500,000 people attended the Women’s March on Washington. (Maya Pottiger/Editor-in-Chief)

Maya Pottiger is a senior journalism major and can be reached at mpottige@terpmail.umd.edu. 


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