Cast members from the hit show “Hamilton” — which has played its own role in the aftermath of the election of President Donald Trump — took to the stage in Grant Park Saturday morning to sing “Let it Be” to thousands of people gathered for a protest march and rally.
Women’s rights advocates and supporters gathered to support of women’s access to healthcare and to denounce President Trump.
The march and rally were part of a nationwide series, all set to be held the day after Trump took the oath of office to become the 45th President.
“A chorus of thousands cannot be ignored,” one of the organizers declared from the stage, not long after another speaker, Aislinn Pulley of the Black Lives Matter movement, reminded the crowd of how protesters had helped lead to the cancellation of a Trump rally last summer that had been planned for the UIC Pavilion.
Pulley said Chicago “has no reason to despair,” and will next “kick out” Mayor Rahm Emanuel and President Trump.
“Who’s gonna do that? We’re gonna do that. Who has the power? We have the power,” chanted the crowd.
Ald. Susan Garza (10th) gave an impassioned speech urging Chicagoans to fight for their rights in the Trump presidency.
Jody Jewell and Becky Vizzone | Sam Charles/Sun-Times
“Today we need to send a message to Washington D. C., ‘Do not mess with Chicago,’” Garza said.
Dozens of other speakers, including aldermen Michele Smith (43rd) and Pat Dowell (3rd), were scheduled to give remarks before the crowd — which organizers said is expected to reach 50,000 — marches to Federal Plaza at 11 a.m.
Carol Benson, 51, said despite the march’s name, the day’s events aren’t only about women.
“We have friends of all races, genders [and] creeds. It’s not just women’s rights, it’s human rights,” Benson said.
The crowd packed streets and CTA platforms on its way downtown; those who had gotten an early start had the right idea.
Carol Benson (left) joined friends for the rally in Grant Park. | Nader Issa/For the Sun-Times
Standing against a barricade at Jackson and Columbus, Jody Jewell and Becky Vizzone, both lifelong Chicagoans from the Northwest Side, were downtown by 7:30 a.m.
“It’s real, so we have to make people understand that this is real, this is happening,” Jewell said. “They’re trying to repeal our rights.”
“The climate has gone from rhetoric to real,” Vizzone added. “We’re not having it.”
Jewell said her teenage daughter was another reason for her attendance.
“This is so important,” Jewell said. “I have a 13-year-old daughter and I can not picture her not having access to Planned Parenthood.”
It was a much busier-than-usual Saturday morning at the Ridgeland Green Line station in Oak Park. | Sun-Times
In Oak Park, the line just to get into the Ridgeland station stretched out the doors. Some waited 10 minutes just to get in and through the turnstiles; upstairs, the crowd packed the platform.
Some resorted to riding an outbound train one stop to Oak Park Avenue, hoping for a better chance to board the train. On the way, a man engaged them in conversation about Trump — called him a “clown” — but didn’t appear to know about the march.
He noticed the Oak Park Avenue platform parked as the train approached.
“Where are all of them going?” he asked.
“The women’s march,” some replied.
“Man, you must really hate him.”
On board the Green, a two lucky girls with seats perched backward, looking out the window and sharing a small letter-sized sign they had decorated with red tulips around a green-inked border.
“Be respectful,” the sign said. “Be responsible. Be compassionate.”
Crowds headed to Saturday’s march packed CTA platforms in Oak Park waiting for trains to the Loop. | Sun-Times
