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| St. Louis Women's March 2018 |
The second Women's March was held in St. Louis on Saturday, in conjunction with many more all across the United States and around the world. The event burst into existence last year, fueled largely by the election of Donald Trump as President, taking place the day after he was sworn into office. Over 400 marches were held in the U.S. with an estimated 3-5 million people taking part on that day. Ironically, the crowd in Washington, D.C. was three times the number of people who showed up for Trump's inauguration.
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| Women's Marchers |
The estimate for this year's number of participants is much smaller, but the enthusiasm of the attendees has not waned. Men, women and children attended, many bearing signs summarizing their hopes, dreams or fears. Here in St. Louis the large crowd was friendly, well-behaved, and vocal in following chants led by volunteers.
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| Women's March signs |
I did not attend last year, so I don't have anything to compare this year's march to, but it was moving and powerful to stroll through the crowds, listen to people talk, and take photos of the action. My Women in Focus group has an upcoming show, and the theme is "Social Justice." The march seemed like a perfect opportunity to capture something for the show. While I think I accomplished that, I also changed my pre-conceived notions about large political gatherings and the people who attend them. While there were signs and causes I don't particularly agree with or support, isn't it great to live in a country where everyone has the right to gather, speak, and demonstrate their beliefs?
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| March to the Arch |
