Solidarity rally for ‘General Strike’ held in Washington Square Park

The fight against Trump’s administration continues

Today, hundreds gathered in Washington Square Park for a rally against the Trump administration and its recent executive orders that have thrown the rights of many individuals of minorities in jeopardy.

Just under a month after the inauguration, the crowd was teeming with well-seasoned Donald Trump protestors, many of whom attended the Women’s March in Washington, as well as Battery Park’s protest against the Muslim Ban, and the LGBTQ rally at Stonewall.

“I try to carve out at least one day of activism a week, so we don’t burn out or get complacent too quickly,” said Brooklyn native Molly Beck, who toted the following sign.

“One day of the week, we’re making the posters, the others we’re actually meeting up, making huddles, planning. We have to keep doing it.”

Meanwhile, Savanna Kustra of Park Slope, Brooklyn, was already thinking about future projects, especially with International Women’s Day approaching.

“I was a huge Bernie supporter, but as soon as he lost in the Primaries, my friends and I got organized and started canvassing for Hillary. What’s been going on is just beyond words. But we’re still here.”

The rally’s official Facebook event stated that it was targeted towards fostering discussions about how labor unions can survive under a Trump administration, which will likely abandon them.

But the afternoon was more so a general protest of his cabinet picks and his executive orders. This included his reinstatement of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Muslim ban, the appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, and his “global gag rule” that impedes worldwide education on abortions.

Chants drifted from “My body, my rights” and “Fighting for our future, children first” to “Every nation, every race, punch a Nazi in the face.”

“Maybe it’s not the original purpose of the rally, but hey, it’ll annoy him, which is always good,” said one woman cheerfully, as she sported a sign about the undemocratic nature of Donald Trump and his cabinet.

Many also expressed their deep concerns about the White House’s close ties with Russia, who are widely believed to have interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Such fears were exacerbated earlier this week when National Security Advisor Michael Flynn stepped down due to the discovery of his frequent communication with Russian officials.

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