On Jan 20, 2017, Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. The following day, millions of women marched across America to speak up for human rights.

The Women’s Marches were very well attended. There were 200 marches all over the United States. The main Women’s March was in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C.  At these marches, women and men marched for the rights of minorities and disenfranchised groups. Protesters marched for peace and to send a message to the American government on Trump’s first day in office. Several Regina students took part in both the March in Washington and in Chicago.

Two Reginites that attended the Women’s March in Washington were Gracie Simon ’17 and Amber Hinton ’19. These young women both took a bus filled with women 11 hours from Chicago to our nation’s capital.

While at the march, Simon and Hinton felt the unity and support of all those around them.

Simon said, “It was a very peaceful experience. Everyone was there to fight for their rights.”

Hinton echoed Simon’s views and added, “It was a very happy experience and was amazing to be surrounded by so many powerful women.”

Amber Hinton attends D.C. March (Photo Credit: Amber Hinton).

The Women’s March in Washington had an estimated attendance of 500,000 people. It was a peaceful march with no arrests reported by District of Columbia Police. The Women’s March in Chicago had a similar vibe. The march in Chicago was the one of the largest in the country with about 250,000 people in attendance.

I attended this historical event with my fellow Reginites Claire Beiter ’17 and Elizabeth Walztoni ’17.  The weather was surprisingly beautiful, as was the support and love for one another. In Chicago, there were no arrests or any reported disturbances.  At one point during the rally in Grant Park, everyone sang “Let it Be” by The Beatles. This moment was something my friends and I will never forget.