Our day began pretty early with a bus ride to the train station. We weren’t the only ones taking public transit to the event. By the time our train got to the stop where we had to switch to a different train, it was already getting full. The train to St Paul was standing room only when we got on it and by the time we actually crossed the river into St Paul we were crammed in tight with more and more people squeezing on. We exploded out of the train at the Capitol stop and walked past the mall and up the hill to St Paul College parking lot E where we were to assemble for the march back down the hill to the Capitol.
The march was to begin at 11 and we were there around 10:15. And people kept coming. Soon the parking lot was crammed with women, children and male allies talking and complimenting each other on their signs. Sometimes a cheer would go up and we’d all cheer too with no idea why, but why not? As the time to march approached people had spilled outside the bounds of the parking lot, were spread out into a parking ramp, up a hill by the lot and around into another parking lot. And then drumming began and the crowd started to move and cheers and chanting broke out everywhere and then we came to a complete stop. And stood there and stood there.
This was the start of what the next hour was like. The street next to the parking lot was curb-to-curb marchers, the parking lot was still crammed with people, no one was moving and no one knew what the heck was going on. Bookman and I managed to wend our way through the crowd, over a snowbank, and down a short, wet, icy slope to the street crowd. Every now and then we’d get to walk forward a few steps before coming to a complete stop again.
To everyone’s credit, no one got angry. We’d chant, we’d chat, we’d joke. One woman joked that she had expected the march to be a lot longer. Women began breaking out the snacks for their kids and for sharing among their groups.
Then suddenly everyone began to move and we got to keep moving. Cheers broke out and chanting and sign waving began in earnest. Finally we reached the main street at the top of the hill and turned the corner for the view down to the Capitol. There was a collective gasp and everyone started taking pictures with their phones.Unbeknownst to us who had gathered in the parking lot, thousands of others had gone to the Capitol mall for the rally. It turns out we hadn’t been able to march because there were so many people there was nowhere for all of us to go! Looking down the hill it was a sea of signs and pink pussy hats, rainbow flags, and women and their allies. And there were thousands more behind us still, waiting to get out of the parking lot. Bookman and I looked at each other and we both started crying. All that standing around and waiting was worth it for that one moment.
We made our way slowly down the street. At one part there was a big, deep puddle. A woman turned to the elderly man behind her whom she did not know and said, you’ll want to move to your left, there’s a big puddle here. The man laughed and said, I’ve moved left all my life! And we all shifted over to make space for him and his wife and others to move around the puddle.
Finally we made our way onto the mall where we stood in the crowd and could hear the speakers and musicians. It was already after 12:30 when we got there, it had take over an hour and a half for us to march from the parking lot a little less than a mile away. The crowd on the mall was the most diverse gathering I have seen in a state that is 83% white. And it wasn’t just ethnic diversity present, there were blind and deaf and other differently abled folks. People of all ages, religions, sexualities, and genders were there too. It was beautiful. And the kindness! Strangers helping mothers pushing strollers get over curbs and snow and puddles. Someone would drop something and everyone nearby would nearly crash into each other as they all bent down to pick up the dropped item for the person. People reaching out to steady others over ice and snow. Everyone smiling and welcoming. We are here together. We are here for each other. We will refuse, rebel and resist.
The rally went until 2, but by 1:30 Bookman and I were exhausted. We began to make our way through the crowd and back to the metro rail station. No one had expected so many people and Metro Transit was scrambling to get extra trains and buses on the road. Even though we were all tired and wanting to get home, no one minded the wait, everyone was happy, energized, chatting and still taking pictures, still astonished at how many people had turned out.
With 100,000 people there was only one arrest. A man with pepper spray aiming it into the crowds. The St Paul police remarked on how many people thanked them for their work at the march and rally. But we were also aware, and reminded by one of the speakers, how different the police and the press treated the Women’s March versus a Black Lives Matter march.Friday was a foul day. Trump’s inauguration had me in a bad mood. But the Women’s March has lifted my spirits. The number of people who turned out across the United States and the supporting rallies around the world is truly spectacular. I went from feeling down in the dumps to feeling part of something so much bigger than myself. After the election in November I was devastated because it seemed like I wasn’t living in the country I thought I was. But after yesterday, I am not as worried. With so many women standing up to be counted here and around the world, no matter how bad things might get, no one will be fighting alone.
On a more domestic turn, the thaw we are having has delighted the Dashwoods. Oh the ground is frozen and there is still plenty of snow, but the temperatures are comfortable and the Dashwoods are out and about in the garden today. Here is some video I took of them enjoying a treat of okara (soybean mash, the stuff that is leftover after making soymilk) and eggshells. Elinor is the brown one, Marianne the black and white one, Margaret the all black one, and Mrs. Dashwood the black one with the white speckles.
My daughter went to DC and tells the same story you do about the marching part. She said there was nowhere to march, although a big group including her marched off from in front of the speakers and down Pennsylvania to make room for those on the side streets who wanted to move in and hear the speakers.
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Jeanne, that’s great your daughter got to go to the DC march! I think organizers everywhere were astonished at how many people turned out.
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So cool that you got to be one of the 100000. Thanks for representing!
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wanderwulf, it was unforgettable! So glad I was able to go.
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The DC March was similarly great, although the marching part was a challenge when the streets were packed full of people! The rally was great, although it went on longer that I think was planned, but just about all the speakers were interesting and inspiring, dealing with a nice mix of causes. The group I was with (a couple of fellow bloggers!) was right in the thick of it. Eventually we were encouraged to make our way to the White House using a different route than was originally planned, and the crowding eased up a bit. It turned into a 14-hour day, and just about every part of me is tired. But I was so glad to be part of it!
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Teresa, so awesome you go to go to DC and with a couple fellow bloggers! I’ve been looking at clips and photos of DC, so amazing! But then it was amazing everywhere women turned out. And I thought I had a long day! I hope you have managed to recover!
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Ahhhh, you guys (all of you), well done! I’m so wishing I could have been on a March—I was working yesterday, sadly—but the photos and coverage from around the world are awe-inspiring and wondrous.
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Elle, oh, sorry you couldn’t make it to a march! I know several people here who wanted to go but were unable to for various reasons. It really was inspiring, the world-wide solidarity. I have never felt so connected to the strength of so many women before.
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Thank you for this great report. It has been amazing to see all the stories and photos, and just to feel so much positive energy released into a world that has felt so effed up. Up here in Halifax we held a rally rather than a march: it drew about 1000 people, which is a good size for our fairly small city: solidarity! 🙂
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Rohan, a 1000 people is nothing to sneeze at! there were other smaller Minnesota cities who had rallies too and had good turnouts as well. So much positive energy as you say. And I have been enjoying all the photos too, even Antarctica got in on it!
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I was there, too, in St Paul! I’m guessing from your description that you and I were standing in the same area — that driveway — waiting to join the march, maybe we even stood next to each other at some point. 🙂
My two friends and I were starting to feel claustrophobic, so we went back to the main part of Lot E and found another way out to join the march, which at that point was moving along more easily. It’s really exciting me today, looking at Facebook and various blogs and finding that people I know (or know of) were there, too. I just feel so proud to have been there, but I know it’s just the beginning.
Also, your chickens are adorably messy eaters. 🙂
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Lynda, excellent! If there is a next time we should totally try an coordinate a meet-up! Yeah, there were people remarking all around how they were glad they weren’t claustrophobic. I’ve been enjoying looking at blogs and Facebook and photos from the Strib and other news outlets. I think you are right, it’s just the beginning.
And thanks, the Dashwoods are pretty adorably messy if I do say so myself! 🙂
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Good for you Stefanie. I particularly love this “After the election in November I was devastated because it seemed like I wasn’t living in the country I thought I was. But after yesterday, I am not as worried…” The solidarity was amazing. We are moving into very interesting – and probably scary – times. It will be good to remember this.
And how lovely to see four gorgeous, health looking Dashwoods at the end.
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100,000 people – wow! I worry about these culture wars that we seem to be living in but as the big turnouts yesterday confirm, at least Trump’s takeover will be contested.
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Ian, I am still amazed. I have never been anywhere with that many people gathered. After Saturday I feel assured that women at least will not go quietly!
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whisperinggums, yes, the solidarity was amazing. I didn’t there were going to be women’s marches around the world until I heard about one in Melbourne (I think it was) on the radio that morning as we were getting ready to go. And now looking at all the photos of women gathered on every continent, takes my breath away.
The Dashwoods are doing great. They were so happy to spend all day outside the run and with the snow melt they even found a few blades of limp grass to nibble on 🙂
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Yes Melbourne and I think Sydney too. Wonderful really.
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The march in London was similarly packed and positive. We were standing still in the freezing cold for two hours before they could get us moving. No one complained. The creativity of the banners was tremendous. A lot of irreverence. A lot of pussy references of all kinds! Lots of teenaged people, families and children. And, it might be interesting to point out that, of course the vast majority of the people there were not American but there in solidarity and because the big issues matter to all of us. I just hope the same spirit will carry over to more local, national issues like the B-word.
From the news coverage afterwards, I get the distinct impression that Trump and his administration are going to end up talking to themselves in a strange parallel universe while the rest of us get on with changing real things. This, for example, seems like a great project, already getting ready for 2018. I love that someone has had such a constructive reaction to the status quo.
https://brandnewcongress.org/
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maggie, so glad to hear about London! heh, we had lots of excellent pussy references too. It was marvelous! The global solidarity of women Saturday was amazing. I hope too that it will carry over and keep going. Thanks for the brand new congress link! I had not heard about them and it looks great!
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Thank you for the report! Although it is not my country it’s always comforting to see crowds rise up for just causes, because there’s nothing worse than feeling you’re the only one believing in these causes.
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smithereens, you bet! It felt great to be there. It was great because it wasn’t a march just against Trump but a march for women, a chance to stand up and say we have rights and these pussies have claws 🙂
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My wife and I also participated at the Long Island branch of the march. We also had a vary positive impression and experience. There was such a sense of community. People were hugging police officers.
We need to keep the activism up. We need to keep fighting.
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Brian Joseph, excellent! So glad to hear you got to go to a march and had such a positive experience! I haven’t yet heard anyone say they had a negative one.
Agreed! In a country of alternative facts, we definitely need to keep fighting!
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The Dashwoods have grown into gorgeous creatures. They’re absolutely beautiful.
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Joan, thanks! They were pretty happy to have been out of the run all day. With the snow melt they even found a few limo blades of grass to nibble. 🙂
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It was a real pleasure to read about your march. Our family was represented in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Maine. ♫
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booksandbuttons, thanks! So glad to hear your family had such great representation!
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🙂 An amazing, awe inspiring display!
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jenclair, something I will never forget, that’s for sure!
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Let’s hope that all of these people actually go vote the next time they get the chance!
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TJ, I’m pretty certain all the people who would turn out to a women’s march and rally also voted. But yeah, keep voting and keep being loud 🙂
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You’re right, I should rephrase… let’s hope that these protests inspire more people to vote next time they get the chance. Just a little more than half of eligible voters voted in the 2016 election, which is a shame.
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yes! I agree with you on that! And vote in two years for the midterm elections when turnout is usually terribly low. It’s really frustrating when people don;t vote. i had a coworker once who had never voted, ever! He said there was no point to it. Grr.
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So good you were there.Your report made me teary eyed.
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Cath, it was great to be part of it, something I will never forget!
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Brrrrrrr! Y’all must have been freezing! It’s so true what you say about the way police responded to these protests vs BLM protests — I keep seeing people congratulating women for protesting peacefully, and I’m on my last nerve about it. Even so, it’s wonderful that you had such a good experience, it sounds fantastic, and I got a bit teary reading about how much bigger the protest was than y’all had initially thought. <3<3<3
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Jenny, it was actually a “warm” day in the mid 30s! I wore a coat but didn’t need to wear mittens 🙂 It’s rather frustrating the difference and the lack of understanding about why there was a difference. I really appreciated how inclusive the Minnesota march made an effort to be with Somali, Native, Black, and Latina speakers. I missed a large part of the rally since I was stuck in the parking lot, but the only complaint I heard was there was no trans speaker. In spite of that, I am hoping everyone who attended felt included and had as positive an experience as I did. Yeah, that the protest was so much larger than expected, and standing up on the hill looking down at it, I still get teary eyed!
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I am so impressed …I am so glad you went for the march. While I agree there is a difference between marches and marches, the important thing is to keep doing what needs to be done and standing up for what is right. As long as we all keep raising our voices against every kind of discrimination,oppression and injustice, I think, we will be able to give Democracy a chance to survive!
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cirtnecce, I am glad I got to go! what an amazing day! I think a lot of people are feeling that it is time to stand up and be counted instead of staying at home and hoping for the best. I hope after Saturday the momentum keeps going and that somehow it can be channeled into a global movement for all women, everywhere.
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Thank you! I had to work and was unable to go but it has been terrific seeing the response all around the world.
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Care, too bad you didn’t get to go! I am so glad I did! Bookman usually has to work on Saturdays and he had to make a crappy schedule trade to get the day off but he’s glad he did.
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Yay, Bookman! So glad the good experience took the sting out of rescheduling the shift you could’ve had.
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I couldn’t make it to our march but thank you so much for having gone to yours! I loved reading about your experience and your post, along with all the other stories and pictures I’ve seen, definitely give me hope that we will not be silenced!
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Iliana, I wasn’t going to miss it unless it was blizzarding! Too bad you couldn’t make it to yours. Sadly, there will probably be a next time, so hopefully you can go then!
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Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
There were 60,000 people in Toronto and it was glorious. I hadn’t been sure about going, but an American friend said she was NOT going, and that reminded me that even though I was despairing about the world (and disheartened to think about marching again, for things that shouldn’t require marching any longer) there were other women more afraid and more sad than I was and so I felt I had to go and I was so restored and inspired afterwards! Just as you described so well. But without Dashwoods to come home too. *waves to Dashwoods*
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buried, oh what a turn out in Toronto! I am glad you went and got charged up, we are all very sadly going to need it. The Dashwoods are always a delight to come home too, they are so soothing and grounding and offer so much simple pleasure.
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Wasn’t this such an empowering experience? I was totally down on Friday, too. I was almost going to skip it, but I am so glad I went. We only had 12,000 at our march (though I have heard estimates much larger, like up to 18,000), but for Omaha NE that is pretty impressive. It’s sort of funny that it was such a happy event, almost festive even. There was something joyful and uplifting despite why we were all gathered there. Maybe the idea that people all over the world are feeling the same way and that we are not going to just sit idly by and watch it happen, but I hope the momentum keeps up and those in power listen to us, too–or we will boot them out as soon as we can!!
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Danielle, yes indeed, empowering is the word! I am glad you went to your march and that there was such a great turnout there too! It did have a festive feeling didn’t it? Serious but also joyful as you say. It felt good.
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Yayyyyyy!!!!! I was so lucky to get to go to Washington, and it was amazing. Hobgoblin took care of the kid, and I took a bus down overnight, and it was one of the best experiences ever.
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Oh Rebecca, so awesome! I am glad you got to go to DC. Judging from video and pictures it was really amazing. It seems it was amazing everywhere and that is heartening and unforgettable 🙂
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We went to DC… we all need to keep it going! #RESIST!!!!!!!! Blogging to resist helps too! I would love your feedback on my first toe dip into blogging for resistance. ❤ https://goldisfromaliens.com/2017/02/17/we-both-wear-spanx-and-other-things-i-have-in-common-with-donald-trump/
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