Women’s March to be held at Albert Square today

Manchester is holding its own Women’s March today as a sister to the Women’s March in Washington. It will take place at Albert Square from 1pm – 3pm.

The march’s aim is for people to stand together in solidarity for the protection of rights, health, safety and families. It has been inspired by a rally and march in Washington DC sparked by Hilary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump and the threat he poses to women’s rights.

Women’s March on Washington is taking place the day after Trump’s inauguration, the first day of his administration, and is expected to draw more people than the inauguration itself. It has an official permit for an estimated 200,000 marchers to rally in front of the Capitol then march to the White House.

Participants are claiming that the march is not necessarily ‘anti-Trump’ but rather a response to Trump’s victory and his policies which could be counterproductive to women’s health and rights. The fact that the new president has faced allegations of sexual assault has ignited a new age of activism. Women feel as though their civil rights are in danger, following the threat his policies are set to present especially to ethnic minorities, gay and trans females.

The march began as a viral idea on social media and is set to be the largest mass mobilisation of people in protest to a president’s inauguration. Solidarity marches are being held in over 100 cities in the USA, and Manchester is one of twelve sister marches in Britain.

In 1973, 60,000 people protested against Richard Nixon’s inauguration, and thousands repeated it at George W. Bush’s in 2001. Hundreds and thousands across America are preparing to make a statement regarding women’s rights. Their message is ‘women’s rights are human rights’, and Manchester is joining the fight.