The streets around Place des Arts near downtown Montreal amassed a thick crowd of women, men, and children. The area was a sea of colourful signs and hats that empowered women and stood up against the newly inaugurated Donald J. Trump. The group surrounded the large steps at the centre of the Quartier des Spectacles area as Indigenous music played. As the morning rolled by, various speakers in both French and English from feminist activist groups across North America spoke out. There were feelings of anger, frustration, but above all, everyone felt united, and hopeful for a better future.
Just a day after Trump was sworn in as the new president of the United States, Elizabeth Sanders, Sarah Jesmer, and Juliet Booker went prepared Saturday morning for a march. To their surprise, the event was more of a rally where activists came to speak to the crowd. Despite this aspect not meeting their expectations, the three agreed that the event was beautiful, and important to attend.
The rally focused on the Republican president who throughout the elections, and still today, has shown questionable behaviour. The rally showed solidarity towards unhappy Americans. Cities all over the world had their own Women’s March, and all spoke out against the President of the United States. “I’m not American,” Booker stated, “I have friends who are American, or living in the United States, and they are devastated by Trump’s presidency.”
Jesmer went on, stating the importance of the rallies is that it demonstrates “the nature of what the world is today. So many people, not just Americans, care about each other and see how backwards this all is.” It’s all about strength in numbers, she says. She’s hopeful for the future, and for more peaceful protests, but there is an uncertainty in the air. “If there’s anything that this new administration proves, it’s that things are always in a state of unpredictability,” she adds.
Sanders explained the sadness that fell upon not only Americans, but Canadians too, in November after the elections. No one seemed to understand how “such a guy could get elected,” she continued, saying that “there was a break in trust.”
The march brought strong feelings to the girls. “I was feeling empowered,” Booker says, everyone who attended the Women’s March was angered by the presidency, but “everyone also wanted to push for change.” Jesmer adds that the event was beautiful, “it meant a lot to see so many people there, all different demographics.”
According to Sanders, a speaker announced that the fight is not over. They continued by listing movements throughout history: the 60s brought the equal rights, the 70s had a women’s movement, and in recent years Black Lives Matter has come to light. “Do not be happy about where we are, because there’s still so much more to do,” Sanders recollects the speaker’s words. She adds that most people who are against the Women’s March feel that women are in a good position in society. “By all means, we are a lot better than 100 years ago,” she agrees, “but there’s so much more to accomplish.”
The Women’s March signs have gone viral during the past few weeks, with strong words and puns that were both funny and empowering. Sanders saw a group of children at the rally with signs reading, “I am a future feminist,” that made her heart melt a little. An honourable mention of Sanders was “My Pussy Grabs Back,” a phrase that refers to the leaked footage of Trump’s offensive “locker-room talk” a few months ago.
Both Jesmer and Booker’s favourite scene was when they spotted a man accompanied by his young daughter, holding a sign, “Raise Nasty Women.” Jesmer adds that it was apparent the father really cared about the cause, and seemed to be proud of being there.
The Women’s March demonstrated a great deal of love, solidarity, and unison amongst people across borders and seas. People showed how much they stand for each other at an event that empowered women and all minorities, that will probably not be the last.