Hundreds of thousands of Americans participated in the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday and many wielded signs covered in brash statements of protest.
The official route of the march became gridlocked with demonstrators, but participants cheered their support for the movement, donned pink hats and most notably hoisted homemade signs with negative remarks for President Donald Trump or pro-women's rights slogans.
Demonstrators seemed more optimistic and positive than angry, although their signs ran the spectrum from angry to humorous. With more than 600 "sister marches" taking place around the country, signs outside of Washington also carried messages of solidarity.
David Stonier of Montreal said he was marching for his daughter but also had a personal motive, albeit facetious. Holland carried a sign that read “Canadian and Single” — the dual-citizen was ready to make a liberal’s fantasy about moving north a reality. So far though, he had received a few kisses, but no marriage proposals.
A popular sign among older women in the crowd read, “I can’t believe I’m still marching for this.”
“I’m 70 years old and I should not have to still be marching for my rights,” said Madeline Disarm of D.C. “Right now I feel like we’re going backwards.”
Popular signs included: “Impeach and Replace,” flipping the Republicans’ slogan to “Repeal and Replace” Obamacare, and “I’m with Her” with numerous arrows pointing outward. Others proclaimed “Hate Won’t Make Us Great” and “We Are the Resistance” with a picture of the Star Wars character Princess Leia.
Ashley Slotis, a teacher from West Virginia, said she knows much of her family voted for Trump, but she attended the march in hopes that the president would look out the window.
“I’m hoping Trump looks out the window and sees all of us here together, a united front, and he’ll make a change,” she said, brandishing a sign that read “My Neck, My Back, This Pussy Will Grab Back.”
Her sign is a reference to the Khia song of 2002 named “My Neck, My Back” as well as a 2005 recording in which the president made a remark about grabbing women by the genitals.
Meanwhile, some folks were more unconventional and didn’t carry the typical signage.
Fifty-nine-year-old Donna Robinson, who is wheelchair bound but enthusiastic, earned cheers by wielding only a sweet potato.
“This here is our president,” she said. “He’s rough on the outside. But if you heat him up, he turns to mush ... And we’re all here to heat him up!”
