Thousands swarmed State Street on Donald Trump’s first full day as president Saturday in a protest to raise awareness for rights of women and other populations they fear could be in jeopardy under the new White House administration.
The Women’s March on Madison is one of
Following the lead of the Women’s March on Washington, organized in the nation’s capital, participants walked from Library Mall at the bottom of State Street to the Madison Capitol building.
Protesters in pink hats and knit “pussy cat” hats chanted, “No hate. No Fear. Everyone is welcome here,” and “fired up” as they marched.
Protester Debbie Konkol said she is marching today because she can’t act like a Trump presidency is normal.
As speakers were starting around 1 p.m., the compact crowd still stretched all the way back to Bascom Hill, with protesters raising signs and chanting.
One of the first speakers was UW-Madison doctoral student Sagashus Levingston.
“It is [about] investing to make sure we all have the tools and resources to act on our own behalfs,” she said. “Most things, if not all things, are only as strong as their most vulnerable party.”
As chants such as, “This is what democracy looks like” and “Not my president,” continued throughout the rest of the crowd, Madison School District history teacher and queer youth advocate Abigail Swetz took the stage.
Swetz told the audience she focuses on teaching her students to be active citizens and informed voters.
“In all the anti-bullying training I got, I was told the most important thing is to not be a bystander,” she said.
“There is nothing more important to me than keeping my students safe,” Swetz said. This echoes the sentiment of marginalized students at UW-Madison feeling scared and confused following the election of Trump.
Darla Lannert, a member of the Wisconsin Transgender Health Coalition board of directors, is a transgender woman and is a prominent advocate in the Madison community for transgender rights. She spoke at the protest about LGBT rights and visibility under the Trump administration.
“Any time a transgender person leaves their home they’re making a statement in a world that says we don’t exist,” Lannert said. “Today, I exist.”
After two speeches from men, including U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and Madison Ald. Maurice Cheeks, District 10, members of the crowd broke out in a “woman speaker” chant.
Two Democratic state legislators from Milwaukee—Sen. Lena Taylor and Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa—who have made historical steps in Wisconsin government, also addressed the crowd. Taylor was the second black woman to become a state senator and Zamarripa was the first latina woman to become a state representative.
“We need to stand up and fight back for equality and inclusion,” Taylor said.
“Women affect everything,” said Steven Forbes, a protester from Milwaukee. “With Trump being so unabashedly nasty, resistance is needed.”
Protesters stressed intersectionality, with a woman leading chants of “Black Lives Matter” through a megaphone.
Kate Caruso, a UW-Madison freshman, didn’t participate in the march but witnessed it while running errands near State Street.
“It was a sight to see,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d participate because it’s not my scene, but I think it’s pretty cool that all of these people came up to do that.”
Even after march participant estimates surged from 10,000 to 100,000, Madison Police Department reported having no issues maintaining citizen safety.
Nina Bertelsen, Noah Habenstreit, Lilly Price and Jake Skubish contributed to this report.
UPDATE Jan. 21, 2:18 p.m.: This story has been updated to include more information and comment from speakers and protesters.
UPDATE Jan. 21, 3:00 p.m.: This story has been updated to include information from Madison Police Department.
UPDATE Jan. 21, 4:13 p.m.: This story has been updated to include information.
