Inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, more than a million women around the world are expected to hit the streets Saturday to show solidarity with Americans and to promote human rights and gender equality in their own countries.
While the march in Washington is expected to draw about 200,000 people, organizers say other marches dotted around the United States – and indeed the world – could collectively draw crowds 10 times that figure. Organizers said they want to send a bold message to President Donald Trump on his first full day in office that women’s rights are worth defending.
Trump’s campaign was colored by sexist remarks, allegations of sexual assault and lewd comments about women that Trump dismissed as « locker room talk. » Many women voted for Trump, including the majority of white women.
Some organizers have tried to play down the marches as « anti-Trump » and instead emphasize messages of unity.
« It’s an opportunity to come together, to grieve and then to turn that around to celebrate unity, » said Kimberly Espinal, one of the organizers of the London rally that kicked off at noon local time.
There are « sister marches » taking place in more than 70 countries spread across the continents – including the Antarctic, where a march has been penciled in onboard an expedition ship.
The largest rally outside of the United States is expected in London, where according to a Facebook group, about 37,000 are going, and more than 35,000 are mulling it over.
« People across Europe and the world are campaigning because Donald Trump’s campaign has normalized misogynistic and sexist ideas, » said Catherine Riley, a spokeswoman for the Women’s Equality Party, a political party in Britain that has taken a leading role in organizing the rally.
It is perhaps remarkable that so many foreigners are marching in demonstrations related to the inauguration of a U. S. president.
But organizers said that interest was almost immediate.
The day after the U. S. election, a plan was hatched to march on Washington. Within hours, the American organizers started fielding requests from people in other countries who couldn’t make it to Washington but wanted to take part.
« In first 24 hours, people from London, Norway, Australia, Canada, Switzerland got in touch saying, ‘Hey, we’d also love to have a march in our country, can you create our own Facebook page for that?' » said Breanne Butler, a chef from New York and one of the event’s global organizers.
She noted that each march has its own dynamic, and demonstrators will be pushing different messages. « In many South American countries, gender violence is at the top of the list, » she said. « In Tokyo, one of the issues they are campaigning for about is the right to education. »
New Zealand and Australia were among the first countries in the world where women took to the streets.
Despite it being summer in the Southern Hemisphere, some people were spotted in Wellington wearing knitted pink « pussyhats » – the cat theme referencing Trump’s lewd remarks in a 2005 video.
In Sydney, demonstrators were met with a surprise when they looked up to see the word Trump emblazoned in the sky. Supporters of Trump reportedly paid to have the president’s name written in the air, prompting jeers from the crowd.
« People ask: ‘Why here? Why Sydney? This isn’t your issue,' » Kate Taylor, co-founder of the march on Sydney said in a brief interview during that rally. « But it is. Misogyny and bigotry are global issues. «
