By Marian Dennis, mdennis@21st-centurymedia.com , @MarianDennis1 on Twitter
Posted:
01\/21\/17, 9:56 PM EST | Updated: 2 hrs ago
Philadelphia >> \u201cThe people united can never be defeated.\u201d
That was just one of the phrases that rang out Saturday morning as thousands of women, men and families swarmed Logan Circle and spilled out onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the Women\u2019s March on Philadelphia.
The march was started to send a message to newly inaugurated President Trump and his administration that women\u2019s rights are human rights. The Philadelphia march is one of many sister marches to the National Women\u2019s March on Washington, D. C. Other marches took place Saturday in cities across the U. S. as well as other countries around the world.
\u201cWe want to bring attention to the social issues, health care issues, issues that I think have been overlooked in this election cycle by both parties,\u201d said Jennifer Mossholder of Gilbertsville. \u201cIt was concerning last night when Trump was trying to dismantle the ACA. So we\u2019re coming out here to show that we\u2019re not taking it.\u201d
Mossholder had attended the event with several members of her family, who shared her views on the matter.
\u201cI\u2019m here for everything really. He can\u2019t take away human rights like this. It\u2019s not OK,\u201d said Ethan Mossholder.
Mossholder\u2019s shared opinions spanned far beyond her own family. Seas of signs pivoted up and down as the sound of drum beats and other music could be heard above the chanting. What started out as a small crowd in the circle evolved into a mass of supporters that, in a matter of hours, filled Benjamin Franklin Parkway and several blocks surrounding it.
While the Mossholders had health care on their mind for the march, others had their own reasons for making their way to the city on the damp, cloudy Saturday.
\u201cIt\u2019s time,\u201d said Emily Dolan of Conshohocken. \u201cI don\u2019t like the hate speech, I\u2019m tired of the misogyny. It can\u2019t be recognized as acceptable in big government. We have rights. We have a voice. Women\u2019s rights are human rights.\u201d
Emily attended the event with her wife, Sarah, and her sister, Jen. Sarah added that the march held special meaning for her, particularly in terms of her marriage.
\u201cWe waited a while to be married,\u201d said Sarah. \u201cWe got married in Connecticut because it wasn\u2019t legal yet in Pennsylvania. So after this election, I was really scared and hopefully that won\u2019t get taken away from us.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m just hoping it\u2019s going to be a positive event,\u201d said Jen. \u201cThat\u2019s what we need more of, the positivity and bringing our voices together to be heard.\u201d
And there was plenty of positivity to go around. Smiles could be seen throughout the crowds as people stopped to read each other\u2019s signs and ask about what brought them to the march. For one attendee, that reason was to provide solidarity for the women who were marching.
\u201cI came here mainly because I\u2019ve seen a lot of worry amongst my friends, amongst people I surround myself with and I\u2019ve seen the harm that Donald Trump has the potential to cause,\u201d said Aidan Stanton of Collingswood, New Jersey. \u201cI want to make my voice heard and try to help make other people\u2019s voices heard. Honestly, I think we\u2019re all here for the same reasons so I don\u2019t see how my experience is much different from anyone else\u2019s.\u201d
After everyone made their way along the parkway, the masses gathered in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a rally filled with various performances and speakers, including March Organizer Emily Cooper Morse, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and former congressional candidate Lindy Li.
\u201cI think people are getting confused that we\u2019re protesting that Trump is president,\u201d added Jennifer Mossholder. \u201cWhether there\u2019s interference with the election process or not, he is our elected president and we\u2019re not trying to change that fact here today. We\u2019re trying to draw attention to our issues that we would like our president to address. It\u2019s not a protest about him and his presidency. It\u2019s about what he should do going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

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