Women’s March in Walnut Creek inspires and empowers all
Participants hold up signs to show their solidarity during the Women’s March in Walnut Creek, California on January 21, 2017.
January 22, 2017
Women across the United States assembled to march for their rights the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, with a demonstration occurring in rainy Walnut Creek on Saturday morning.
In addition to marches in San Francisco and UC Berkeley, the Walnut Creek march brought approximately 10,000 people to Civic Park, which is part of the city’s downtown area.
Passing cars honked in solidarity, signs and umbrellas were plentiful. Representatives from the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice center passed out pamphlets and thanked everyone for coming.
Men, women, and children showed up to demonstrate, with little kids displaying their handmade signs as a group of young girls yelled “Love trumps hate.”
Camille Van Duyn, 29, marched her first ralles with a friend in both the Walnut Creek and San Francisco rallies.
“The reason I’m here is to pick up the torch for others who marched before us,” she said. “I’m marching for Hillary Clinton too, and all she has done for women.”
She plans on attending more marches and wants a more active role in her community than just voting.
Van Duyn was also inspired by all of the children who came out today, and said “The ultimate message we’re trying to spread today is that hate doesn’t make America great.”
Dee Allen-Kirkhouse, English professor at Diablo Valley College, had bought plane tickets to the march in Washington, D.C. but then heard about the local ones.
She had marched in D.C. during the Vietnam war and other friends of hers would be at the Walnut Creek one.
Allen-Kirkhouse marched for solidarity, and said, “I know from experience that large groups of citizens can have an impact on politics. We saw it with the Vietnam war.”
“I’m hoping that Congress gets the message that women’s healthcare shouldn’t be taken away,” she said.
According to the Women’s March website, 673 marches were scheduled all throughout the country on Saturday, and an estimated 2,226,540 marchers would attend.
The main goal of the March on Washington movement is to “march to support and inspire each other and the nation to celebrate, honor and protect our diversity, freedom and human rights.”
One of the speakers who rallied up the crowd before the march, said “All people, regardless of color, gender, sex and age, should have the same rights.”
Professor Allen-Kirkhouse summed up the whole movement best: “The marches are the beginning of the fight, not the end.”
