25,000 March For Women's Rights In Orange County 2018

SANTA ANA, CA — Close to 25,000 marchers assembled for the OC Women’s March in downtown Santa Ana today to advocate for women’s rights. The crowd surpassed the 20,000 that showed at last year’s 2017 OC Women’s March. The march was peaceful and upbeat, with an emphasis on energizing Orange County voters for the 2018 midterms.

“With this year’s record turnout, it is clear that the women’s advocacy movement is gaining strength. This sends a powerful message for the 2018 election.” –Kathleen Treseder, OC Women’s March volunteer

Marchers called for action on issues including Native American rights, the #MeToo movement, LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, reproductive rights, immigration, climate change, and gun violence. They carried banners that stated "To Change Everything, It Takes Everyone" and wore the pink knit caps that became synonymous with empowerment of women, in 2017.

“Gun violence is a women’s issue, because 50 women are shot to death every month in America by a current or former intimate partner, one Moms Demand Action marcher said.

Sexual harassment and assault was a common theme among speakers and on marchers’ posters.

Daniell Serbin, Chairwoman of OC Young Democrats, organized the #MeToo movement in Orange County.

“I am marching in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the workplace," Serbin said. "I am marching to send a message that we must change prevailing cultural norms, which up until now have condoned men using their positions of power to harass and abuse their subordinates.”

Sign holders shared their opinions with quotes and pictures. One girl shared thoughts on self worth in a time when many women are empowering themselves during the #MeToo movement:

A girl becomes a woman when she learns to love herself more than she loves a man.

A sign held by one marcher stated:

Nevertheless, she persisted. Existed. Insisted. Voted. Resisted.

More voters held signs stating their solidarity with Planned Parenthood.

One woman held a sign while cradling her infant, holding up the words of Martin Luther King from his 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail:

"Whatever effects one directly effects all indirectly," King wrote. "Never again an we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider in this country."

Photos, courtesy Kathleen Treseder