Over 100,000 women marched through London this weekend, to protest Donald Trump’s presidency and right-wing politics in all forms.
The event called, Women’s March On London, was one of hundreds of protests taking place on 21 January across the world. Marches took place in cities including Dublin, Cape Town, Budapest and Kolkata, with the biggest attendance turning out in Washington with an estimated half a million women protesting.
The London march Starting at The US Embassy, in Grosvenor Square, and ended with a rally in Trafalgar’s Square.
The demonstration was to protest Trump’s inauguration who has been sued for allegedly denying accommodation to African Americans and was also recorded appearing to discuss sexually assaulting women.
Trump has previously dismissed the claims as “locker room banter”.
The global marches welcomed protesters of all genders to take a stand against “right-wing political sentiment in all its forms, including homophobia, transphobia, anti-Muslim bigotry, misogyny, class prejudice and racism,” said the Women’s March On London’s website.
“We will march, wherever we march, for the protection of our fundamental rights and for the safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events. We unite and stand together for the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities.
We will come together in the spirit of democracy, honouring the champions of human rights who have gone before us. Please spread the word, so that our numbers are too great to ignore and the message to the world is clear.”
The march promoted the slogan: “The politics of fear and division have no place in 2017.”
Trump won the elector
al college vote to secure his presidency, however the popular vote was won by Hilary Clinton by almost three million votes.
Supporters of the marches included Amnesty International, Greenpeace, ActionAid UK, Oxfam GB, Women’s Equality Party, The Green Party, Pride London, Democrats Abroad UK, Syria Solidarity Campaign, Unite the Union, Black Pride, Solidarity with Refugees, WOW, NUS, British Scientists for the EU, She Speaks We Hear, Women 4 Refugee Women, 50:50 Parliament, Women in Leadership, The Equality Trust, Verve UK, Daughters of Eve, Womankind Worldwide, The English Collective of Prostitutes, ActionForRefugeesInLewisham, Latin American Women’s Aid, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Soroptimist International, Women in Prison, Stop The War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Left Unity, UK SAYS NO MORE, Inquest, Black Women’s Rape Action Project, Women Against Rape, WinVisible, QueerStrike, Women of Colour Global Women’s Strike, Women’s Aid, Morning Gloryville, Payday Men’s Network, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network UK, London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign, Network of Eritrean Women, Women in Leadership Publication, Fourth Wave: London Feminist Activists, Gibraltar Women’s Association
You can find all updates from the march by following #womensmarch on Twitter.
Call to action
The Women’s March On London is now calling on protesters to write to Theresa May, who will be meeting with Donald Tump this week to discuss the UK’s ongoing relationship with the US.
A campaign is urging protesters to write to May to express their concerns about President Trump.
In addtion, the same afternoon as the march The Fawcett Society launched a report called Sounds Familiar, which found that over a third of adults in the UK would blame a woman for being raped if she was to go out late at night, wear a short skirt or gets drunk.
Fawcett is responding to these issues by launching the #SoundsFamiliar campaign to encourage young women in particular to share their experiences and send a message to others who have had similar experiences.
