On the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Ithaca will with join 370 other cities in holding a sister march to the Women’s March on Washington, a demonstration that aims to show solidarity with those who have been “insulted, demonized and threatened” in the past election cycle.
Supporters are expected to convene at Ithaca City Hall, 108 East Green Street, at 10 a.m. Marchers will walk a one mile route from City Hall to Dewitt Park, down Buffalo Street several blocks, then back to Martin Luther King Jr. Street and finally return to the Commons for a rally.
Over 2,000 people have indicated that they are going to the event on Facebook and over 3,000 are “interested.”
“I wanted to show my disagreement with the outcome of the election, as well as offer a platform for others who stand for women’s rights to channel their energies ” said Amanda Jaros, one of the organizers of the event.
Jaros said the event aims to broach partisan divides to emphasize equal rights for all Americans.
“We don’t care who you voted for or your specific view on any one particular issue, but if you fight for dignity, equality, and respect for all people, we want you by our sides,” she said.
Matthew Indimine ’18, executive vice president of Student Assembly, also called the march an opportunity to support marginalized communities.
“The recent political climate has been incredibly divisive, and it’s so easy to lose sight of our goals and motivations,” he said. “Tomorrow’s an opportunity for members of our local community to unite against … all discrimination.”
The Women’s marches across the country echo a 1913 event, when many suffragists demanded voting rights outside the White House before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration. This year marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York, three years before the passage of the 19th Amendment.