Cincinnati Women’s March

Cincinnati, OH –On January 20th, 2018, in Cincinnati as well as cities across America and the world, millions of people gathered to protest the Trump presidency and the ideas of the administration. The largest march was in Los Angeles, with an estimated 600,000 people, and large marches in Washington, D.C, New York, and Seattle, along with many protesters outside the Mar-al-Lago Trump-owned and frequently visited resort and golf club. This recent march comes after the first year of the Trump Presidency, in middle of a government shutdown, (the first one since 2013). This shutdown came after senators could not agree on a spending plan, with the White House wanting money for a border wall and Democratic leaders wanting protection for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, that protects immigrants that came here as children. This has reflected in the marches, with chants and signs supporting the ‘Dreamers’ or DACA recipients. Other issues addressed were the treatment of people of color, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, immigrant rights, sexual assault and harassment, (following the Me Too movement) Disability Rights, and much more. This march was the first anniversary of the Women’s March in 2017, that had historic turnouts in a protest on the day after President Trump was inaugurated.

On January 21, 2017 the Women’s March took place. This was a gathering of protesters in thousands of cities across the world, with millions of people marching in opposition to the Trump presidency and the ideas that it represents. Some of the biggest marches in the United States were in Washington, D.C with about 500,000 people, New York City, NY with about 400,000 people. Internationally, some of the biggest were in London with about 100,000 people and Toronto, Canada with about 60,000 people. There were marches in all 50 states, in over 100 different countries, in all seven continents. This came directly after President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. Many major celebrities attended, such as Amy Poehler, Idina Menzel, Rihanna, and Zendaya. Several major democratic political figures also attended, such as Senator Cory Booker, Former Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator Bernie Sanders.

The 2018 Women’s March in Cincinnati, Ohio had an estimated 10,000 – 15,000 people. The march started outside the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, making a loop around the surrounding roads and highways to end where the march started. People carried signs such as “You lie, You hate, You collude, We vote,” “Disarm Hate,” and “Power to the polls.” Other signs were much more locally oriented, such as “Fiona is a Feminist” (Fiona is the young hippo to be recently born in the Cincinnati Zoo). The organizers of the march pushed to get a specific emphasis on voting in the upcoming midterm elections in 2018, pushing for both democratic and diverse candidates, as well as the advocating of issues such as Women’s Rights, immigration rights, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights, science, the environment, and many other issues.

There were several Talawanda students at the march, including several people from the Diversity Club. When asked about the march and Talawanda role in these issues that we face, Ella Messner, a Talawanda Sophomore and a member of Diversity Club said, “Some of the members of Diversity did come to the Women’s March. Diversity came to the march because we think women’s rights are an important issue. Going to marches and taking an activist stance allows us to show our support and spread the word about our club. Talawanda Diversity Club stands for women’s rights and the rights of POC and LGBTQ people, and we went to the women’s march this year and last year to stand up for those minority groups.”