Signs Of Sisterhood: Inside The Women’s March In Chicago

Above Photo: small child with big sign: ‘Tiny Hands, Huge a**hole’ (image by courtesy of Yael Brunwasser)

My guest today is Yael Brunwasser*, a participant at the Women’s March in Chicago the day after the inauguration.

Joan Brunwasser: Welcome to OpEdNews, Yael. Why did you attend the march?

Yael Brunwasser: It was important for me to stand in solidarity with women all over the country (and world!) who refuse to be plunged back in time with our rights revoked. Trump has been so blatantly disrespectful and misogynistic, it’s appalling. It was incredibly empowering to be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of marchers in Chicago who stand for equality and human rights. The march was started by women, but came to represent all minorities and discriminated groups that Trump has targeted with hateful rhetoric. This is what democracy is about and it was truly energizing to take that power back and express our frustrations and demands of this new administration. We will not be silenced.

JB: Are you usually pretty political? Were you very involved in the presidential campaign? How did you get to this point?

YB: Admittedly, I’m not very political. I’m more socially inclined, through NGOs. This campaign upset me to my core and I started paying much closer attention. The rhetoric was different. It infuriated me to hear a politician vying for the highest position in our land, speak with such hate, ignorance and sexism. I couldn’t believe our country could support such a candidate. Now that he is elected, I think it’s crucial to raise our voices and rise up. There is strength in numbers and this Women’s March is proof. We can accomplish so much more when we are united and allies come together. I hope this march will ignite the passion of so many women and other marginalized groups and remind us that this is only the beginning of this effort. The work has only just begun.

JB: Agreed. Let’s talk about the event itself. What was the buzz ahead of it? Did lots of your friends plan to go? Were you expecting a big crowd?

YB: I had heard about it through the National Coalition of Jewish Women. Then I saw a Facebook event and joined and invited my friends to meet me there. I don’t think they were expecting this kind of turnout. It was unreal. The streets were completely flooded with activists. It was pretty powerful to see those crowds, the passion and the positive spirit that we’re all in this together. They had to cancel the actual march because there were too many people. Now, that says something!

JB: I understand they were originally planning for a turnout of 60,000. Then, the estimate jumped to 100,000 and ultimately, more than 250,000 people showed up. That is stupendous! I know that you took a bunch of pictures. Pick one and tell us what we’re looking at. That way, those of us who weren’t able to be there will get a better sense of what it was like.

YB: My roommate and I went to the march together last minute. Regrettably, we didn’t have a chance to make posters. Thankfully, when we got downtown, some marchers had extra signs and handed us these awesome miniature signs that said “Tiny Man, Tiny Mind, Tiny Hands, Tiny Sign.” It was perfect. Everyone loved them and so many people asked to take pictures. There was a healthy dose of competition for who had the best signs!

There were tons of creative signs. Some were very feminist in nature, like “The Future is Female,” “Girl Power” and “the Future is Nasty,” referencing how Trump referred to Hillary during the debate. Others were more stark reminders of what’s at stake, such as a sign saying “Never Again” with a picture of a coat hanger, and the frightening imagery of abortions before they were legal. There were also plenty of snarky anti-Trump posters.

JB: I bet! Were you aware at the time that this march was duplicated in over 600 cities across the world attracting literally millions of people? And, if so, did that affect your decision to participate?

YB: I didn’t realize that until later. I had heard that there were sister marches, but didn’t realize how many! It was so inspiring to know that communities all around the world were showing their support for women’s rights and rallied to respond to the US’s call to action. The next day, I was beaming as I was reading news of all the sister marches from Tokyo to Amsterdam to Antarctica. We are a powerful front when unified and I think the world saw that on Saturday.

JB: Indeed. Is there anything you’d like to add before we wrap this up?

YB: Yes. There are plenty of ways to get involved. If you were inspired by the incredible turnout at the Women’s March, realize you are not alone. There are so many ways to continue to act. One way is to connect to the Women’s March: 10 Actions in the first 100 days .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JB: Useful link. Thanks so much for talking with me, Yael. This was fun!