Philly women comforted one another at last night’s Trump protest
‘You feel like you have to come together at a time like this’
It’s only been a few days since our country selected its new president, and the women in Philadelphia have decided to do one thing they can do best, and that’s to unite.
From college students to mothers who brought their young sons or daughters to witness the thousands of protestors, everyone in the crowd was ready to convey a message of unity and empowerment to the city of Philadelphia and to the entire nation.
In the event organized on Facebook, ‘Our 100: Philly Women in Formation, Vigil, & Protest,’ women of Philadelphia gathered by City Hall in a demonstration for the entire country.
They promised to remind people what this election meant to them and how it will affect everyone’s lives – black lives, women’s lives, immigrant lives, and the lives of LGBTQ folks.
At the beginning, many of the protestors were heard discussing what occurred on November 8th. From the Hillary supporters in the crowd, many of them looked defeated but they promised to not let this ruin their dreams of seeing a woman in the White House.
Over 3,000 people confirmed they were going to the protest on Facebook and people from all ages were seen at Philadelphia’s City Hall, where tourists and bystanders watched the crowd of protesters voice their concerns of why they do not agree Trump should be our president.
From City Hall to 30th Street Station, the march continued with thousands of people down one of the busiest streets of Philadelphia.
Throughout the night, women in the crowd chanted, “My body, my choice,” “My body, my right,” and “GOP hands off me.” They hugged one another, comforting the ones who needed the most support during the protest.
One of the protestors doing the comforting was a freshman from Swarthmore College, Erin Avila.
Amongst everyone, Erin was vocal and open to comfort strangers who appeared like they needed some help. She explained why she decided to protest tonight and why she is passionate to standing up for something she believes strongly about:
“I’m protesting because I’m human, and at this moment, you know we all we need to just come together to fight.”
Some high school students were also present, like Sandra Fiorella, who at 16 years old decided to participate.
Alongside her two friends from high school, pictured below, she walked with her own banner denouncing the president-elect.
“I’m scared for myself, the LGQBT community, minorities, and I’m here to let my voice be heard,” she said.
Another sign-holder, Jeanine Leclarie, explained why she decided to participate in publicly protesting the election results.
“I don’t usually protest but there’s nothing left to do now. Donald Trump is not my president and I will not be silent.”
Jeanine’s signs epitomized the messages of the night of how the women protesting felt towards Trump’s win after his history of criticizing and demeaning women.
Jeanine Leclaire shows off her hand-painted signs.
The women of Philadelphia, together, showcased the ability of peaceful protests to be effective in providing comfort to and uniting women of all backgrounds.
The battle for rights and respect is not over for women in Philly, and they are ready to face the struggles ahead.