By Khrista Sayo
The Mirror Staff
As one speaker said that day, “It’s going to be okay.”
Every person is entitled to express themselves and their ideas freely in America. It is exactly what upholds the social and political structure of our nation.
OPINION
I Will Fight for Human Rights
February 1, 2017
OPINION: Millions of people around the world take part in the Women’s March for Equality the day after President Trump is sworn in to protest the new administration. This is one student participant’s perspective on the experience.
PHOTO BY © Star Foreman/LA Weekly
Millions of women, men, and children assembled all over the world to unite against the Trump administration and fight for their constitutional rights.
The largest march took place in Washington D.C. where approximately 1.2 million people stood at our nation’s capital on Saturday, Jan. 20, the day after President Trump’s inauguration and the first full day of his term.
From far and wide, people traveled to take a part in this historical event. Public figures from celebrities to government elected-officials spoke out and stood amongst the crowd, using their voices to advocate for commonalities.
Similar events occurred in major cities such as Chicago, New York, Boston, Miami, Oakland, St. Louis, and here in Los Angeles. Sixty-six countries around the world held their own marches as well, making this event the largest global protest ever.
The Women’s March LA was initially predicted to only attract a couple hundred people, but as the hours passed, the numbers grew. This is my personal experience at the march.
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When I arrived, there were around 100,000 people in Pershing Square in downtown L.A. An estimated 350,000 to 750,000 participants rallied that day to support the cause.
It was definitely empowering to be surrounded by so many other people who shared the same views as I did—all fighting for the same cause. Simply by looking at the artistic and declarative signs that were paraded around the area, the messages they were trying to convey were clear.
We all sought to secure rights for all the social groups that Trump threatened during his campaign. We demonstrated our support for equality for the oppressed: women, people of color, and Muslims to name a few.
This social movement is the hope we need during the dark time where our social liberties could be stripped away.
The center stage featured Hollywood talents who felt just as passionately about this issue as the activists involved in the march.
Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Rowan Blanchard, Kerri Washington, Natalie Portman and many other celebrities made an appearance to speak for the cause.
Their compelling speeches used powerful rhetoric to urge the public to resist the potential revocation of their rights, which are threatened by Trump.
Being in the midst of thousands upon thousands of people who believe in the freedom of all Americans was an inspiring and motivating moment for me.
I hold my own views about political issues and support centering around the individual liberties of each person. I believe that this belief was the foundation that our country was built upon 240 years ago.
Every person is entitled to express themselves and their ideas freely in America. It is exactly what upholds the social and political structure of our nation.
All humans should be accepted and allowed to express themselves however they please. No matter their sexuality, gender, religious beliefs, or political views, everyone has a right to be themself.
Our country right now is in a long-overdue process of being inclusive to all people regardless of identity, and I believe that the Women’s March is a big step in accomplishing this goal.
The Women’s March is the biggest and the most participated protest in a historical line of social movements that have promoted social, political, and economic equality.
Women fought for suffrage rights mainly in the early 20th Century when they recognized our constitution failed to allow both genders to vote. Labor strikes during the 1930s brought change to poor working conditions and unfair wages of that time. And the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s attempted to close growing racial divide that was evident in the institutionalized racism of our government.
We would not be living in the world we do today were it not for those historical protests that greatly impacted our society.
Change is possible, and it will happen one way or another. Power derives from the people, and we will determine the fate of our country.
It is vital to move forward, not backward, in order for progress and prosperity to occur. People who take active roles can resist the human injustices that the Trump government tries to put into action.
Despite the fears and doubts that some of us may have during this troubling time, it is important to continue to hope, resist, and unite.
As one speaker said that day, “It’s going to be okay.”
