What to expect on Inauguration Day 2017

Inauguration Day is scheduled for January 20, 2017.

This year’s Election Day shook the country in ways that have never been experienced in modern history, and incited a great deal of anxiety and fear within the American people. According to data distributed by CNN, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by the widest margin than any other losing presidential candidate in history. So after living in a country led by our first African-American president for eight years, one could not help but wonder how a man with no prior political experience and who was endorsed by the KKK won the White House. The significant contrast between how far we have come as a nation and the path we are headed towards under the Trump Administration has made it increasingly evident we have a long road ahead of us, with much tension and division to overcome.

Before Trump has even been sworn into office, he has already demonstrated a great deal of incompetency and lack of commitment to our country’s well-being. Trump has promised to overturn many of Obama’s executive orders and policies that protect the environment, workers, and minorities in America, and has appointed a number of individuals for his administration who are against the department that they are directly appointed under. As though Election Day and Trump’s appointed cabinet were not enough for us to handle, we have one more hurdle left to encounter before Trump’s presidency becomes America’s reality: Inauguration Day on January 20th, 2017.

Protests are expected to occur across the nation, and the Bay Area is certainly not an exception. On Inauguration Day, a demonstration is expected to take place on the Golden Gate Bridge where participants aim to spread positivity and symbolize unity by marching across the bridge. The event’s Facebook page, which was organized by a group called Bridge Together Golden Gate, now reads that roughly 8,000 people are planning to attend.

In addition to this event, more than half a million people signed up for the Women’s March on Washington, D.C.. The Women’s March is designed to personify strength and solidarity, and is open to all men, women, and children who stand for human rights. If you will not be able to make it to D.C., rest assured – it’s going to happen across the Bay Area as well. Thousands have already RSVP’d to the Women’s March in the Bay Area, which is going to occur in major cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.

The purpose of these events are not centered on political stances, and are not even an act against Trump. Rather, organizers hope to give the American people a chance to make a cultural and social change by sending positive messages of harmony, love, and support through a collective alliance. These upcoming historic demonstrations will serve as reminders of the importance of standing together in the face of adversity and change, and that we are indeed stronger together.