Women's March ATX Brings Large Crowd To Texas Capitol

AUSTIN, TX — The crowd at this year's Women's March ATX on Saturday paled by comparison to the 50,000 participants who descended at the first iteration the day after Donald Trump's inauguration as president on Jan. 21, 2017. But the passion of those gathered was palpable, punctuated by their exuberant cheers and loud applause after speakers concluded their remarks.

The day was ideal for such a gathering, with drizzly and cold weather on Friday ushering in spring-like climate nearing 70 degrees by midday Saturday.

Organizers of the Woman's March ATX describe themselves as an independent, grassroots non-profit "...committed to standing up for the rights of ALL women, regardless of race, cultural, or religious affiliation, sexual identity or preference or political affiliation," according to their website. To that end, a lineup of speakers — from politicians to everyday women recounted harrowing tales of survival from abusive relationships — rallied the crowd largely composed of women.

Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza served as mistress of ceremonies for the three-hour event that began at noon on the south lawn of the Capitol grounds that began at noon. This year's march was staged amid an election year as Trump now seeks to hold on to his presidency and the centennial anniversary of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote.

Sunny skies greeted participants of Women's March ATX. Photo by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

An official crowd size was unavailable, but the grounds were well populated by politically minded participants of all ages. "The stakes are higher than ever for our democracy and our civil rights," organizers wrote on the event website. "Not only is this a presidential election year, it also marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment granting some (but not all) women the right to vote. While we've come a long way we still don't have equal rights under the U.S. Constitution yet!"

The reason for the gathering remained the same as when the march was launched in 2017 — a gathering that went into the annals of local history as the largest demonstration in Austin history as one of several marches staged across the country that yielded the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history. Like that inaugural year, several such marches took place across the country with focus placed on issues that included climate change, immigration and reproductive rights.

The issue of reproductive rights was among the touchstone issues showcased during the fourth annual women's march in Austin, as illustrated by one participant's sign. Photo by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

"We march to energize, engage and unite populations that have been historically ignored, suppressed and sidelined," organizers wrote. "Our democratic system only works when we all participate and hold politicians accountable."

Photo by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

In addition to council member Garza, other scheduled Women's March ATX speakers included Wendy Davis, a former state senator who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014. Davis rose to fame after a 13-hour filibuster on June 25, 2013, to block Senate Bill 5, a measure that included more restrictive abortion regulations in Texas. Donned in sneakers as she endured her marathon filibuster, Davis gained national attention for her effort to block the legislation she helped delay but was ultimately passed in a second session.

Also on hand was Briona Jenkins, introduced by Garza by her newly ordained title as "the love child of Oprah, Beyonce and Michelle Obama." Jenkins is a public speaker and activist for the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color toward the end of effecting positive change.

Among those attending the gathering was Williamson County Sheriff's Office candidate Mike Gleason who hopes to unseat incumbent Robert Chody this year. Retired from the WilCo sheriff's office after a 24-hour career capped by his appointment as assistant chief deputy, Gleason told Patch the ideals of the march parallel his run for office as he seeks to achieve greater inclusion of women into the inner workings of the sheriff's office.

"The current situation with the way they're handling women's rights," Gleason said of the dual moves in running for the office and attending the march. "We want women to know they have equal access, and they can feel safe in the community. Every time I speak to women, they say 'I don't feel safe.' We never had that issue when I was there, and it seemed to grow."

Mike Gleason, a candidate for the sheriff's office in Williamson County, was among those attending the women's march in Austin. Video by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

Gleason said that perceived misogynistic climate at the WilCo sheriff's office was fueled by a personal Facebook page created by one of Chody's commanders, Stephen Deaton, that featured Barbie and Elf on the Shelf dolls positioned in a way to make light of date rape, and included a joke about the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Ann Holloway, an 18-year-old woman whose mysterious disappearance during a graduation trip to the Caribbean garnered national headlines.

Chody's inaction in relieving Deaton of his duties in citing the former commander's freedom of speech was widely criticized by county residents, as did his use of the "like" button to show support of one scene depicting violence against black NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Facing mounting community pressure to resign, Deaton ultimately resigned of his own volition, and has since been replaced in the commander's post.

"I want to show people that...our administration will be even and fair, and we want women to know they have the exact same access to the criminal justice system, their rights in the community — everything they deserve."