The 2018 Women’s March

Photo courtesy of Jacquie Carter

On the anniversary weekend of the Women’s March in Washington protesting Trump’s election, women were out in force again on the streets with signs, speeches, and chants. This year, the march occurred with the addition of Time’s Up signs and MeToo speeches. Many celebrities shared their stories of sexual abuse to inspire others to take a stand and to let victims know they are not alone.

Hundreds of thousands of marchers took to the streets, proving that this is a movement which will be sticking around for a while. Marchers were protesting everything from immigrants’ rights to sexual misconduct to President Trump, with many calling out Trump for his comments about other countries. A number of the banners included more serious lines such as “Black Lives Matter”, “Dear future daughter, this one’s for you”, “My body my choice”, and “Hate does not make America great again”. Other signs took a funnier tone, with some saying, “This episode of Black Mirror sucks” and “We are not ovary-acting”.

A handful of protesters also dressed up in the uniforms worn by handmaids from the popular show The Handmaid’s Tale. They carried with them signs that quoted powerful lines from the show.

A number of celebrities gave speeches outlining their own experiences with sexual assault. Natalie Portman shared her experience of being sexualized at the age of twelve in a stirring speech to a crowd in Los Angeles. Singer and songwriter, Halsey, delivered a poem titled “A Story Like Mine”, in which she talked about her own struggles with rape, assault, and abortion. Scarlet Johansson spoke as well and called out James Franco on the recent sexual allegations brought against him. Sarah Hyland said in her speech, “‘If we have learned one thing this year it’s that we are not alone. We are not alone. Millions of women have marched, millions of women have raised their voices and told the world, hey, MeToo. And now, united, we have declared that the time is up.'”

If there is one thing to take away from this march, it is that women’s voices are powerful and that they will not be silenced. The Women’s March does not seem to be going anywhere, and the protests are a way for people to voice their complaints about the way things currently are.