{"id":1588,"date":"2017-02-02T08:13:08","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T13:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vapc.org\/?page_id=1588"},"modified":"2017-02-02T08:13:08","modified_gmt":"2017-02-02T13:13:08","slug":"womens-march-washington-exercise-first-amendment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vapc.org\/vapc\/womens-march-washington-exercise-first-amendment\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s March on Washington: An Exercise in First Amendment"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

By Gail Kent, Past President<\/em><\/p>\n

Even though I came of age during the Vietnam War, the Women\u2019s March on Washington was my first protest march. There always was a reason standing between me and political protesting. My parents. My first husband\u2019s military career. My current husband\u2019s security clearance.<\/p>\n

But with my husband\u2019s retirement and my increasing concern about the direction our country is taking with the new administration, even my husband\u2019s angst about my safety could not keep me home this time. I was elated when my granddaughter Cheyenne, who turned 17 the day before, asked to join my friend Pat Harvey and I on the train from Newport News to D.C.<\/p>\n

\"\"As we crossed the Potomac and glided into the city around 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 21, we saw oceans of pink hats, named after the slang word for the body part candidate Trump\u2019s now-infamous remarks made\u00a0de rigueur<\/em>\u00a0on cable news and social media. I knitted about 25 of the hats and sold them for a personal fundraising project to benefit the Women\u2019s March, which cost about $2 million for communication, security, clean-up and portable restrooms.<\/p>\n

From Union Station, we were only a block from the action. But we were too late and too far back in the throngs of people to hear any of the speakers, nor any of the directions about how and where to march. The crowd estimates vary from 500,000 to 1.2 million, but they dwarfed the expected 200,000 people the planners had prepared for.<\/p>\n

The sheer numbers made marching nearly impossible, as droves of confused people migrated east, then west, like off-course flocks of blackbirds, but all in good humor and with uncommon patience and politeness toward each other, volunteers and Capital Police. One police officer was overheard saying, \u201cThey\u2019re all so nice, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m supposed be doing.\u201d There were only four reported police calls during the march, all for injuries or illnesses. Videos show protesters high-fiving, thanking and hugging police officers. I was thankful there was no violence as there was the night before.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t so much \u201cmarch,\u201d as shuffle — and chant. Someone in the crowd would start a chant, such as, \u201cWhat does democracy look like?\u201d and we would reply, \u201cThis is what democracy looks like!\u201d We were shoulder to shoulder, 30 to 40 people deep, all the way down Constitution and Pennsylvania avenues, past the old post office that is now Trump International Hotel. We marched to the 1300 block of Pennsylvania, where barriers block access to the White House.<\/p>\n

Grandstands that were set up for the inaugural parade route the day before were filled with protesters. An Ohio delegation of several hundred held up a banner proudly declaring their state affiliation. There were men wearing women\u2019s bras over their T-shirts and holding signs declaring, \u201cI\u2019m With Her,\u201d with arrows pointing in all directions. There were 90- and 100-year-old women in wheelchairs. There were 3- and 4-year-old children in tow, and many families.<\/p>\n

While signs in support of women\u2019s rights were a common theme during the march, immigration, healthcare, education and Trump\/Pence, in general, were also themes. The signs were creative and funny. Here are just a few:<\/p>\n