Women’s March on Washington: Illinois to Hold Sister Marches

What some are calling the biggest demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump's administration will happen one day after the inauguration in Washington, D.C. The Women’s March on Washington is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21.

“The Women’s March on Washington (WMW) is for any person, regardless of gender or gender identity, who believes women’s rights are human rights,” according to the event website.

For those who can’t make it to the march, “Sister Marches” are slated for cities across the country. In Illinois, events are scheduled for Chicago, Carbondale and Urbana.

Chicago

• What: The Women’s March on Chicago
• When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21
• Where: Petrillo Bandshell, 310 E. Jackson Dr., Chicago

Carbondale

• What: Southern Illinois Women’s March
• When: 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21
• Where: Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale

Urbana

• What: Women’s March – Champaign, IL
• When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21
• Where: Lincoln Square Mall, 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana

‘Locker room talk’

The presidential election was marked by criticism of Trump’s comments about women, from his often angry interactions with then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly to a 12-year-old video that surfaced in October.

Trump, who later called the comments “locker room talk,” could be heard in the video talking about hitting on a married woman and saying of women, “grab them by the p--y.”

He also made waves – and sparked T-shirt sales – when he referred to opponent Hillary Clinton as a “nasty woman.”

The March for Women began as a Facebook page calling for women to protest Trump’s inauguration and evolved into a larger movement. As of Jan. 10, nearly 180,000 people had marked themselves as “going” on the Facebook event page and more than 250,000 indicated they were "interested."

“We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families -- recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country,” the event page states. “The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us -- women, immigrants of all statuses, those with diverse religious faiths particularly Muslim, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native and Indigenous people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, the economically impoverished and survivors of sexual assault. We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.”

Other events

The Women’s March is expected to be one of the largest anti-Trump demonstrations since the election, but it’s not the only one.

“Resist Trump: Occupy Inauguration Chicago,” organized by the Chicago Socialist Alternative and the Chicago Movement for the 99% is slated for inauguration day. Organizers call the event “a shot across the bow” against the incoming president’s proposed agenda and policies.

Other demonstrations took place before and just after the November election.

Related coverage:

• More Anti-Trump Protests Get Under Way After Peaceful Protests Marred by Shooting, 'Riot'
• Sorry, Donald Trump, This is Chicago