WASHINGTON—Marches against what organizers call the fascist agenda of incoming Republican President Donald Trump—and to contrast it with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—are planned for D.C. and nationwide the weekend of January 18-20.
The main, but not only, event, will be a massive People’s March, combined with the Women’s March, starting from three locations in D.C. near the White House on Saturday morning. Some 49,498 people have signed up for it, and busloads are coming from up and down the East Coast, ranging from Portland, Maine, to High Point, N.C.
Nationally, there are two marches in the Chicago area, one in the Loop on Monday and the other in the northern suburbs on the 18h. Four marches are planned for New York City, along with a “memorial service” for freedom on January 20 in northern New Jersey and events up and down the West Coast, including a virtual “coffee and commiseration,” in Washington state.
The Chicago Loop group specifically includes defending workers’ right to organize. The others leave workers’ issues unmentioned. It also plans to protest police brutality, defend reproductive and LGBT rights and demand a free Palestine, among other issues.
“With Trump’s commitment to ramp up repression, we need to forge the broadest unity we can in order to defend our movements. It is only by uniting the combined forces of our movements to fight for all of our demands that we can not only defend our communities, but win greater power,” those organizers add.
“Jan. 20, 2025 is going to be a difficult day for many of us, so let’s find positive company online, wake up with some coffee or your drink of choice, and be together while watching–or for a block of time, ignoring!–the ‘inauguration,’” the Washington state group says.
And the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network is planning its own set of anti-Trump protests, featuring a policy forum in New York City.
“As we honor Dr. King’s legacy this year, our nation again stands at a crossroads in the fight for the soul of America,” Sharpton said. “On the eve of Donald Trump’s second term, we need to be clear as day: Dr. King did not march, preach and lay down his life so that we would one day again retreat into the shadows of hatred and division.
“The man who has made it his mission to suppress the vote, demonize diversity and roll back our rights will take the oath again,” Sharpton said of Trump. “This moment demands that we be louder, stronger and more determined than ever to keep Dr. King’s dream alive.”
“The People’s March will be a day of joyful resistance, community building, and powerful action. You’ll hear from inspiring speakers who will energize and unite us. You’ll connect with resources to sustain long-term resistance and participate in trainings that will equip you with critical skills to protect yourself and your community,” organizers of the main D.C. march say.
“Together, we’ll march to remind the nation that real power lies with the people—and our resistance is unshakable.”
Causes marchers will back, at least in D.C., include democracy, immigration, anti-militarism, and climate, with that group starting from Farragut Square, critical issues facing D.C., plus Palestine, from McPherson Square, and “bodily autonomy, gender justice and LGBTQIA issues,” from Franklin Park. The Women’s Marchers will start there.
While tens of thousands will protest Trump’s agenda in D.C., well-heeled corporate Trumpite donors will gather elsewhere in the city, specifically at the Capital One arena downtown. Unlike the People’s Marches, where participants are paying their own way and costs are relatively low, the pro-Trump bashes carry million-dollar price tags.
The women’s march responds with a graphic featuring a pithy comment from Patti Smith: “When you hit a wall, just kick it in.”
More information, including a list of local events by city or zip code, is available at thewomensmarch.com.
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