Philadelphia Women’s March 2018: What You Need To Know

PHILADELPHIA – The founders of a movement that last year brought a throng of women to the streets of Washington, D.C., and around the country, are planning a repeat demonstration this year, with the main event taking place Jan. 21 in Las Vegas. The 2018 Women’s March is framed around a “national voter registration tour” ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. In Philadelphia, the 2018 Women’s March will be held Saturday, Jan. 20.

Marchers will gather at 10:30 a.m. at Aviator Park/Logan Square, at 1900-1958 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The march will begin at 11 a.m., heading from Logan Square to Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Then at noon in the Oval, there will be a rally with more than 20 speakers and performers, including poets, politicians, activists, academics, and more.

You can register for the march online here.

Security

Organizers expects a high turnout, and thus increased security measures will be in place. Below are details on march security

Event attendees can enter the march assembly area at Logan Circle at the following locations:

• 18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  
• 20th & Race Streets
  
• 20th & Vine Streets
  

Event attendees wishing to attend only the rally portion of the event may access Eakins Oval and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the following additional locations:

• 22nd Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway (north and south sides)
• Pennsylvania Avenue & Spring Garden Street
• 25th Street & Kelly Drive
• Eakins Oval (south side, near 24th Street)

Items not allowed inside the venue include:

• Weapons and contraband of any kind (regardless of permitting, e.g. Right-to-Carry permits will not be honored and weapons will be confiscated)
• Fireworks or explosives
• Illegal or illicit substances of any kind
• Skateboards, motorized vehicles or scooters (excluding motorized wheelchairs or similar equipment)
• Laser pointers
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & drones of any kind

Attendees are strongly discouraged from carrying bags, backpacks, or satchels of any kind. All bags are subject to search, and therefore, the presence of bags could create delays in allowing attendees to enter
the event.

In addition, the public should expect congestion in the area. If you are attending the event, make a plan regarding driving, public transit, parking, and supervision of children. Be prepared to wait to enter and exit the area. We recommend that attendees wear comfortable, weather-appropriate attire.

Leave no bags or items unattended. In an emergency or to report a suspicious person, activity or item (a backpack, a package, a container), notify a police officer immediately or call 911. Do not try to open, move, cover or touch a suspicious item.

Road closures

Various roads in the area of the march be closed due to the event, according to the city.

The following streets will be closed starting at 5 a.m. until about 6 p.m. on Jan. 20:

• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Streets (both sides of the street)
• 20th Street from Race Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway (east side of the street)
• 19th Street from Cherry Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)
• 18th Street from Arch Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)
• 17th Street from Race Street to Arch Street (both sides of the street)
• 1600 Cherry Street (both sides of the street)
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 20th Street to Eakins Oval (all lanes; both sides)
• 21st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue & Race Street (both sides of street)
• 22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street (both sides of street)
• 2100-2200 Spring Garden Street (north side of the street)
• 2000 Winter Street
• 1400-1500 JFK Blvd. (north side of the street)

Parking restrictions

Motorists are urged obey all "Temporary No Parking" signs. Vehicles parked in these locations during posted hours will be relocated.

Additionally, drivers should refrain from double-parking, which creates congestion, limits traffic flow, and is illegal, city officials said.

The following streets will be posted as "Temporary No Parking" zones from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 2o

• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Streets (both sides of the street)
• 20th Street from Race Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway (east side of the street)
• 19th Street from Cherry Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)
• 18th Street from Arch Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)
• 17th Street from Race Street to Arch Street (both sides of the street)
• 1600 Cherry Street (both sides of the street)
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 20th Street to Eakins Oval (all lanes; both sides)
• 21st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue & Race Street (both sides of street)
• 22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street (both sides of street)
• 2100-2200 Spring Garden Street (north side of the street)
• 2000 Winter Street
• 1400-1500 JFK Blvd. (north side of the street)

"The Women’s March on Philadelphia 2017 drew record crowds to the Parkway, and was estimated to total more than 50,000 people," Philly Women Rally and Women’s March on Philadelphia founder Emily Cooper Morse said in a statement. "Many of those people who attended last year expressed interest in an anniversary March, so we decided to use the 2018 event as a platform to spotlight the amazing women, and those who identify as women, in our community, in an effort to continue the momentum of the past year. From the #MeToo movement, to the first transgender elected official, this has been a powerful year for women, but it’s important that we also shed light on the progress that is still needed, specifically among the most marginalized communities of our city and nation."

Additional information, such as maternity care areas, accessibility details, speaker and performer info, and transportation options are available online here.

The marches come at a watershed moment for women, who are seeking public office in record numbers in the 2018 midterm elections. Women are empowered both by the #MeToo movement, which brought a trove of stories from women who said they have faced sexual assault or harassment, and outrage against President Trump, who famously said in 2005 Access Hollywood tape leaked during the 2016 campaign that he had groped women’s genitals — prompting the pink “pussy” hats demonstrators wore last year.

Organizers said they chose Las Vegas for the main “Power to the Polls” march because it is a microcosm for issues important to women, from gun violence to allegations of sexual assault against male politicians.

Las Vegas was the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history last year, and Democratic Congressman Ruben Kihuen was accused by at least two women of groping them without permission. Kihuen is one of the latest of scores of powerful men implicated in a far-reaching scandal that has rocked politics and the entertainment and news industries.

Nevada also is a swing state that could flip from red to blue in the November midterm elections, making it a prime place to hold the main march, organizers said. Three Democrats and two Republicans are challenging U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, a Republican, in the June 2018 election. The race is considered a toss-up, and is one of several closely watched midterm election contests that could shift the balance in the Senate.

The Las Vegas event kicks off a national voter registration and mobilization tour targeting other swing states with a focus on registering new voters and electing more women and progressive candidates to office. Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics says that about 600 women nationwide — a record — are running for statewide and federal office in the midterms.

The organizers of the march were encouraged by Democrat Doug Jones’ upset win over Republican Roy Moorelast month in the deep red state of Alabama, which hasn’t sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1992. Moore was leading the special Senate race to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions until multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. The women said they were teenagers and Moore was in his 30s when the alleged impropriety took place. Moore has denied the allegations.

Women, especially Democrats, are finding a path to victory in states where their election seemed improbable. For example, Virginia voters in November elected Danica Roem, the first openly transgender woman ever to be elected to a state legislature. She was one of 11 progressive women who unseated Republican men in the state’s House of Delegates.

The Women’s Marches will also bring attention to “systemic voter suppression laws that inhibit so many communities from voting,” Linda Sarsour, a co-organizer, said in a statement. Learn more about the 2018 Women’s March here.

Protesters walk during the Women's March on Washington, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, on Jan. 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C., a day after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the nation’s 45th president. Similar marches are planned for 2018. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images News/Getty Images)