Hope, fear and counter-protests in Washington

Thousands of people from various states held a march in the nation’s capital on Saturday, a rainy and cold day, for women’s reproductive rights and other rights many marchers deemed to be under threat from the incoming Trump administration.

The march became a rally at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial, where a range of speakers — union organizers, Palestinian human rights advocates, LGBTQ organizers and others — took the stage, amping up the crowd to defend the rights of others. Also, in the capital were many Trump supporters already celebrating their win and counter-protesting.

Speaking to various marchers who had traveled from Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and to locals from Washington, the mood was one of sobriety, still processing the election results, and as one of them told me, “I am here because we cannot afford to go away quietly, knowing what is about to happen with our nation.”

Protesters hold signs at the “People’s March on Washington” at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18, ahead of the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, PHOTO: Mohamed Barrie

Many speakers sat between hope, fear and deflation. Clearly understanding the gravity of the incoming administration, Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong, a southern-based national women of color reproductive justice collective, admitted, “It is not easy. Today isn’t easy. Like many Black women, I am tired. I am angry and honestly scared.”

Toward the end of the gathering, a significant number of Trump “45-47” red hats appeared in and around the rally zone under the watchful eye of police officers.

There was a heated debate between Trump supporters holding anti-abortion and homophobic signs under the leadership of a man they called the preacher and a young lady. She questioned the preacher, who said women were betraying Christ and made various other claims about the queer community. The woman argued that women and people in general have rights that are protected by the U.S. Constitution and should be respected.

A group of her friends and protesters stood in front of the preacher, holding a sign that read, “Real men are feminists.”

This wave of back and forth continued for 20 more minutes with various people joining in. A brawly man with a long beard joined the mix, standing next to the preacher screaming, “Trump is now your president. Deal with it.” In response, another counter-protester with a megaphone yelled, “You voted for a criminal! You voted for a traitor!”

Walking away from this scene seemed to be what life might look like in the coming four years. I followed a group of Trump fans as they headed up the stairs toward the Lincoln Memorial. There, a dance party broke out among Trump fans. At the center of it was a Republican YouTuber and her fans, who shouted, “Make America great again. Make America wealthy again. Make America recession free again.”

As the crowd from the march headed home, walking toward the White House, many more Trump hats appeared in the heavily secured streets. The capital seemed ready to welcome Trump and his supporters, as the rest of the nation gets ready for President Trump and his administration.

Mohamed Barrie is a reporter for WriteBoston.