Women's March in Annapolis Scheduled for Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, MD — In the wake of Friday's presidential inauguration, thousands will gather for the Women's March on Washington on Saturday to refute President Donald Trump's reported indiscretions with women and possible new legislation targeting women's health care and marriage equality. More than 600 “Sister Marches” are planned across the country, among them Maryland marches in Annapolis, Baltimore, Frederick and Ocean City.

The march in Annapolis will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, as participants meet at City Dock and march up Main Street to Lawyer's Mall at the Statehouse. At about noon speakers will begin, including State Sen. John Astle, Delegate Mark Chang, and Anne Arundel County Women's Commission member Alexus Viegas.

The March for Women began as a Facebook page calling for women to protest Trump’s inauguration and evolved into a larger movement. More than 218,000 people had marked themselves as “going” on the Facebook event page and more than 250,000 indicated they were "interested" as of Friday.

Smaller support marches like the one in Annapolis — which had 1,215 confirmed participants Friday night — are planned in cities across the country.

"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," the Washington event page says. "We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear. 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."

Annapolis organizers ask marchers to wear purple. "This is not a partisan action, and we want a show of unity and support," the group says on Facebook.

»Photo of Johns Hopkins sign on North Charles Street at 33rd by Rdsmith4 via Wikimedia Commons.