How to Participate in the 2019 Women’s March
The 2016 Women’s March began as a reaction to the election of President Donald Trump, but their organizational efforts continued well beyond the first wave of protest. The third annual march will take place this month; here’s what you need to know to join.
Disputes and cancellations
To begin with, the Women’s March was not without controversy, including accusations of anti-Semitism against movement leaders, and was canceled in Chicago. [Update: Organizers of the Chicago march contacted by email to clarify that the march will take place on January 19 , and confusion has arisen over a major mid-term rally in October. They also clarified that none of their decisions “depend on what happens nationally with WMI, Tamika Mallory, etc.” and that the Chicago March is “a completely separate organization, and our decisions have nothing to do with the actions of WMI or any other Women’s March.”]
March plans were also canceled in Eureka, California, after organizers acknowledged the lack of racial diversity in the main protester group, NBC News reported .
The leaders of the march have their own complex politics and history that requires research and understanding of nuances, in particular, the connection between Linda Sarsur and Tamika Mallory and the leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan. You can read about it here:
In addition, the march aims to mobilize a huge number of people, and many expressed disappointment at the lack of representation and seeming emphasis on white cis- sism in the march and therefore refused to participate. We recommend that you independently explore the local march you may be visiting.
Dates and access
It is especially important to find out where your local march is taking place because although the main event is on January 19th, there are sister marches on other days. To find out where and when the nearest one to you is, see this map .
Start times also vary a lot from city to city, so make sure you are there when it really happens. If you are going to Washington on the 19th, here are the important places from the organization’s website :
Meeting Point: We will be meeting at the National Mall between 12th and 3rd Streets.
Venue: The rally will take place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Main Support Station: Constitution Gardens, located north of the reflective pool at 21st Street and Constitution Avenue to the northwest. In the area there will be pots and pots, water stations, heating tents, first-aid posts and a tent for the missing.
The organizers are working to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, Broadly said , so if you have a specific placement request you can email accessibility@womensmarch.com.
What to wear
It’s January! Dress in warm, layered clothing and bring an easy-to-consume snack and water with you. Even if you’re not going to linger for long, getting in and out of a large crowd can take much longer than you expect. If you have a protest sign, make sure it is easy to transport.
In terms of what these signs should say, it’s up to you; however, the 2017 march was about getting people to participate in polls for the midterm elections, and this year the hashtag for the event is #WomensWave. Expect a lot of water images. Maybe Trump was hit by a tsunami, or maybe a thousand hands were about to hit the GOP straight from Congress. Let your imagination run wild – 2020 is just around the corner.
Updated January 4 to reflect new information on the Chicago Women’s March.