San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza was getting increasingly more crowded, as thousands of people gathered together to advocate for social and political change during the Women’s March San Francisco on Saturday, January 19.
Thousands of people were preparing themselves for a march through the streets to stand up for what they believe in and actively demand what they want.
“I am attending the march because there are so many issues that I want to stand up for,” Mali Holmes said. “I want to advocate for women’s rights in solidarity.”
With so many people attending the march, many expressed their opinions about its messages and ability to inspire social and political change.
“It’s nice to know that this is a movement that allows people to stand up for what they believe in, and that it focuses on multiple issues,” Lucia Smith said. “Even though it is a political movement, it still emphasises women supporting each other and recognizing that we have to unite to make real change.”
Some of the participants of the march and the rally believed that the event allowed them to speak up for the inclusion of less represented groups.
“I think that there can be a lot of problems with the march because it is often white women-centered and is not always inclusive of underrepresented women,” Holmes said. “Despite that, I think that the organizers are trying to make it more inclusive. It makes a lot of people speak up about the issues that women have to face on daily basis.”
Even though some believe that the march is often not representative enough, it is still viewed as a good platform to express opinions and take action to make change.
“You need to put your body where your mouth is. We all complain, and the march lets us take action,” Lisa Federici said. “The system has some serious problems and issues. If we don’t speak up, it’s not going to happen.”
Despite these issues, the Women’s March is generally supported due to its ability to unite people and let them speak up for activism. In addition, the march is perceived as a good platform for people to peacefully voice their demands.
“Often times, people focus on the negativities and differences, but we should really focus on commonality to make actual change,” Pamela Vita said.
