Global protests emerged this weekend in the wake of Friday’s U.S. Inaugeration, marking Saturday as Donald Trump’s first official day in office. Women all over the world set out to protest in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington, the largest inaugeration-related demonstration in United States history.
Women’s March Global is a proactive international movement, not exclusive to the U.S. The movement invited individuals and organizations committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and those understanding of women’s rights as human rights to join the local coalitions of marchers in representing the rights and voices of progressive people around the world.
In Toronto, a local Women’s March event was organized for 12 p.m. on Saturday (starting at Queen’s park and ending at City Hall/ Nathan Phillips Square). Information for the event was provided on Facebook- Women’s March on Washington: Toronto where the following message was delivered. “Across Turtle Island (North America) we have seen a rise in acts of hate coinciding with the American elceciton…We come together to say we will not be silent in the face of the hate that has threated, demonized and insulted so many of us- Muslims, Jews, racialized people, indigenous people, migrants and those with precarious or no legal status, members of the LGBTTQQ2SI communties, disabled peopled and women. In the spirit of saying no to hate and yes to justice, equity and social change, people around the world will be mobilizing and resisting as Trump is inaugerated.”
I attended the march as a first-time protester. I therefore had the opportunity to put my newly discovered feminist voice to practice and join in on a movement not only much bigger than myself, but which turned out to be one of the largest global social movements in history .
If you weren’t at the march yourself, here’s a personal run-down of what went on during the match. We arrived just before 12 p.m. on Saturday to find most of the South end of Queen’s park already active, a stream of protesters making their way to the rally point, sporting pink hats and homemade signs.
As noon rolled around, hundreds of thousands of more people poured into the rally area where speakers and musicians were preparing to perform, including Ryerson’s own Farrah Khan, Sexual Violence Support and Education coordinator. By 12:45 p.m, a crowd had gathered that reached all the way back to College Street. 60,000 people were in attendance.
“As we march on, we remember that we resist together and that this fight is about all of us, we leave no one behind” said one of the speakers. “This is about women finding our voice, taking up space and being supported by the people who love us”.
“Intersectional solidarity for all of us…indigenous people, black, racialized, people of colour, refugees, migrant workers, immigrants, people without imigration status, two-spirit peoples, trans peoples, lesbian, gay, queer people, women, activists, workers, students, teachers, artists and mothers…look around you. This is us and together we are strong. We are here in solidarity.”
“The people united will never be defeated,” chanted the crowd, before stopping to take a moment of silence, to unite with each other across the globe (across all time zones) in a fight for equality. As soon as the minute ended, the speakers announced the commencement of the march and music surged into the air as protestors began making their way out of the park.
“We must stand with each other today and every single day. Together we will never back down. We will invite kindess, empathy and love. We will channel outrage into creativity, organizing and action.”
Walkers of all sorts made their way slowly along the route to City Hall, occasionally joining other protesters in more enthusiastic chants. “The people united will never be defeated”, “THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED.” Signs lifted and swayed just above the surging crowd, whose energy grew as they walked. Absorbing the strength and motivation of the people around them. Conjoining in a united movement.
Amongst the groups of walkers were young girls, individual men and women alike, older couples, families, parents with young children, parents with babies in strollers, and my all time favourite, people with “protest dogs”.
Signs and posters ranged widely too, some simple and some intricate, all offering a different perspective to the same fight for equality. The yellow sign with the heads refers to three figures (from top to bottom): Donald Trump, Kellie Leitch (Conservative MP in the Canadian House of Commons, a.k.a female Trump) and Kevin O’Leary (business man running for leadership of the Convservative party, a.k.a. Trump 2.0).
After close to two hours, the route came to an end and the crowd found itself converging into Nathan Phillips Square, and filling the area surrounding Toronto City Hall to hear one final speaker. Protestors conversed cheerfully with one another, rosy cheeked from the cold, and bright eyed from the pure energy of the event. Over the music, people drew closer to the stage to hear the speakers concluding words, thanking everyone for their time and commitment to the movement, while others stayed back, enjoying the company of fellow walkers. The Women’s March event brought us together to have our voices heard and to bring about a wake-up call in Canada. We left having reminded ourselves and Toronto that issues such as Anti-black racism and police brutality, growing Islamophobia, rejection of indigenous rights, sexual assault and homophobia are problems that exist all across North America, and not solely in the United States. We are not perfect Canada. This being said, with the movement for equality ongoing, the participants of the Women’s March hope to continue organizing events and resisting.
We refuse to be silenced. Solidarity always.
Photos by Emma Johnston-Wheeler @emmajw98.
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