*This article is an opinion piece about my own personal political views in relation to the women’s march, it doesn’t represent the views of all Her Campus writers*
When Donald Trump was elected to be President of my country in November, I was heartbroken and afraid. I couldn’t believe that my country would stoop so low as to elect someone who was blatantly sexist, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and so on. I was upset and angry, and above all, I wanted to do something. I vowed that day to not take the next four years lying down and to do everything in my power to fight back against Trump’s horrible plans.
When I heard that there was going to be a women’s march on Washington the day after Trump’s inauguration, my heart ached to participate. This was exactly the type of action I wanted to take part in to send a message to Trump that we would put up a fight. America will not blindly follow Trump’s rule. It was only a week before the march that my friend Melissa sent me the information about the woman’s march in London. Until then, I had no idea there would be so many marches happening around the globe in solidarity with the one in Washington. We decided we had to go.
It was an exhausting day. I woke up at 6 am to catch an early train to London, and didn’t get back home until 10 pm that night. But it was worth it. It felt important to be there, to be one of the 100,000 people marching in London for women. It felt amazing to be a part of something so much bigger than myself, to be one of the millions of women who marched worldwide, on every continent (yes, there was even a march in Antarctica). Our presence helped send a message to Donald Trump that the world was watching him, and we would not stand for his hateful messages or policies.
To all of the amazing men and women who came out and marched in London with me: thank you for standing in solidarity with us Americans who will not put up with Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric. It was empowering to march so many people who were fighting for the same beliefs and to see everyone’s witty signs and hear their impassioned chants. It was inspiring to see so many people come together from different nations and cultures for one common cause. When I got home that night, I called my mom to hear about the march she went to in Louisville, Kentucky. I saw photos on Facebook of my cousin, aunt, and countless friends attending the March on Washington. I saw tweets from some of my favourite authors talking about attending marches all over the country, from NYC to Omaha, Nebraska. It gave me hope.
I’m scared about what is happening to America, and every time I check the news I get more disheartened and angry. But I also get more determined to do something. The women’s marches around the globe proved how many people are unhappy with Donald Trump’s reign, and how many people want to fight back. Attending the Women’s March in London was my first step in resisting Donald Trump and his policies, but I vow not to stop there. I vow to keep resisting throughout his four years in office. The women’s march gave me hope that when we join together, we can make a statement. It may not have changed any policies yet, but it gave me hope that if enough people pressure the government, we can create change.