A nationwide march for women’s rights will be held in Washington D.C. on Saturday.
Some of the participants marched in downtown Columbus last weekend. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports
More than 2000 gathered in a plaza in downtown Columbus for what was being billed “the sister march.”
But there were some brothers in this march too. Fathers, Mothers, daughters, grandmas and grandpas of all ages and ethnicities.
Some of the marchers in this event will be in the nation’s capital for the event. Others say they can’t go but they want to show support for the national Women’s March in Washington D.C. that is expected to attract one hundred times more.
At this march, some carried signs. Some wore signs. And some of those signs will be worn by marchers this weekend. Some plastered pictures of daughters, mothers, granddaughters and grandmothers on their backs, saying they are marching in their honor or memory. There were women who were drumming.
(sound here)
And some wore costumes. Allie Brown of Columbus was one of a half dozen people who were dressed as suffragettes.
“This is a Victorian era inspired outfit and the message is just that we are essentially still fighting the same fights. So it is in support of the people who came before us but also the implication that we are moving a little bit backwards here.”
Betsy Tannehill of Columbus says she’s always believed women’s rights are human rights – one of the big themes of this march. But she says she felt it was important to take a stand….or a walk now.
“This is the first march I’ve done. I’m 73 years old and I thought I had better do one before it gets too late. Cause I have a friend who went for abortion rights in Washington 14 years ago and she couldn’t come this time because of health issues and I thought I’m not going to be a chicken anymore so I’m going to come.”
So, wearing her homemade pink pussy cat hat, inspired by comments Donald Trump made years ago on a hot mic while working with Access Hollywood, Tannehill joined thousands of others as they took off on the mile-long trek to the Statehouse.
(ten seconds of different chants/marching)
Many of these women say the election of Trump has been the catalyst that made them take to the streets in an event like this. Robin Jasper, a grandmother from Newark, was holding a sign that read, “now you’ve pissed off Grandma.”
“This is a call to action for myself personally. I have gotten through my life. I work hard. I am a social worker. I see people in need. But I need to get busy because we have let other people in other parties infiltrate local level school boards, our local government, our state government but most importantly on the federal level, and it’s time for Americans to get busy and get ready for the midterm election to make our voices and our votes heard at that time.”
Organizers of the march say it’s not a protest. They say it’s meant to emphasize love and unity. At the end of the march, many joined faith leaders already at the Statehouse who were holding an event of their own there. Barbara Marshall of Hillard was among that group.
“It’s not a church function. We’re just people who care about the rights of women, of the LGBT, of immigrants, of people whose rights might be in danger.”
Marshall and many other marchers then joined hands and circled the Statehouse in solidarity.
