Women's Strike: Chicago's Weekly Trump Protest Will Show Support For Wednesday's Global Event

CHICAGO, IL — Since President Donald Trump took office in January, activists have participated in weekly demonstrations every Tuesday — known as "Resist Trump Tuesdays" — to protest the president's administration and its agenda. This week's event will be a local precursor to Wednesday's larger global work strike by women in honor of International Women's Day.

"In solidarity with women around the world, #ResistTrumpTuesdays Chicago will lead a powerful direct action and partial strike on March 7th, the eve of the International #WomensStrike in the United States and concurrent with the strike in many countries around the world," according to the weekly event's Facebook page. Tuesday's protest will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn St.

The International Women's Strike — also known as "A Day Without a Woman" — is an event that urges women around the world to stay home from work Wednesday, March 8, to demonstrate their importance to the job force and demand employers pay them at the same rate as their male counterparts.

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"We have the opportunity to once again show the world that the strength of our communities depends on women and girls," said an online statement by the Chicago Foundation for Women concerning Wednesday's strike. "If we are not part of public life, we all suffer for it. But when women rise, we bring our whole community with us."

Even if women can't afford to miss a day of work — which for many would mean losing out on wages for that day — the foundation encourages them to back the movement in other ways, such as supporting women-owned shops and businesses.

Two Chicago demonstrations also are planned Wednesday as part of International Women's Day:

• International Working Women's Day demonstration: The event, organized by the Chicago Socialist Party, will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., rain or shine. Speakers will include 29th Ward activist and organizer Zerlina Smith, founding Red Wedge magazine editor Red Schulte, activist and writer Yasmin Nair and others. More than 200 people have said they plan to attend, according to the event's Facebook page.
• International Women's Day Rally: The indoor event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the headquarters for the Chicago Teachers Union, 1901 W. Carrol Ave. The rally is billed as a celebration "all those who have been leading the fight for women’s rights and to play a part in building an all-inclusive women’s rights movement," according to the event's Facebook page.

The Lemonade March, a third event organized by Black Women Speak, also was originally planned for Wednesday, but it has been rescheduled for March 31.

RELATED: Thousands Join 'Day Without Immigrants' Protest March In Chicago

The women's strike echoes last month's "Day Without Immigrants" strike, a national protest against the Trump administration's immigration policy that saw thousands of people rally and march in downtown Chicago. Shops and restaurants in the city and around the country also closed for the day on Feb. 16 as a way to show solidarity with the movement.

In January, about 250,000 people participated in the Women's March on Chicago, one of hundreds of "sister marches" around the globe Jan. 22 protesting Trump's inauguration. The Chicago march was one of the largest, behind only Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., respectively.

The Women's March on Chicago on Jan. 22 (photo by Joe Vince)

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