Last weekend, a number of Bowdoin students participated in women’s marches across the nation and globe—including the March on Washington—to protest issues related to the Trump administration’s proposed policies including equal pay, racial and gender equality and LGBT rights.
Danielle Horne ’20 was one student who marched alongside her mother and a friend. She noted the large crowd.
“There was a wall of people behind you, [and] a wall of people in front of you. [There were] just so many people, so many pussy hats, so many wonderful signs,” Horne said.
“There was every [issue] there. The only reason for you not to go was if you physically could not get there,” she added.
In the United Kingdom, Julia Morris ’18 participated in the Women’s March in her hometown of London. Though the event was conceived by Americans, Morris said, people gathered to protest a wide range of issues— not just Trump’s presidency.
“It was about inequality in terms of pay between men and women, inequality between different races,” she said. “It was also this idea [of] appealing to the lowest common denominator. Like with Brexit, [there was] this idea that sameness is better, or exclusion is better and hate is better, and the overwhelming message, what was chanted, was a lot of, ‘spread love, not hate.’”
Students also chose to march locally in Maine. Katie Morse-Gagne ’19 drove to Augusta to protest.
Morse-Gagne said she was impressed by the crowds that showed up in Augusta. In Augusta, as well as in Portland, Maine, thousands of people people showed up to support the march and peacefully protest gender-related issues.
“I don’t think anyone was really anticipating [a large crowd]. I had no idea there were that many people. In between speeches, the announcer said they were estimating around ten thousand people, and everyone went nuts,” Morse-Gagne said.
She left the march feeling hopeful about resistance to the Trump administration’s policies.
“If [people] could bring something like [nationwide marches] together then we could do more, despite political worries,” Morse-Gagne said. “[In Augusta], people were looking for a very supportive, generally positive place to be. I got more of an impression of people being positive and hopeful than angry and resisting.”
Morris emphasized the importance of continued political engagement.
“I think that’s important … not being scared to demonstrate opinion that is unpopular. We have the freedom of speech, so you better use it,” she said.
Henry Bredar ’19, who lives in Washington, D.C., attended both President Trump’s inaugural ceremony and the Women’s March the following day.
“I think not going to the inauguration would have been [me] missing a big moment in our U.S. history,” he said. “Even if it is something [many] people disagree with.”
While Bredar said he doesn’t personally agree with many of Trump’s policies, he met people who did at the inauguration.
“I met this one couple … They were in their Trump hats, and they had American flag shirts with ‘Make America Great Again’ slogans,” he said. “They were unbelievably nice people. They were kind, and they talked to me about my views. They were honestly respectful. They definitely weren’t what people might portray them to be.”
Emily Cohen contributed to this report.