Women's March on Washington, January 21, 2017;  Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA

 

Around 1:00 pm I worked my way out onto the Mall, which was covered by white plastic walking boards to protect the grass.  I thought I would get ahead of the front line of the march, which was scheduled to leave at 1:15 pm.  At least there was more space on the Mall.  Other people had the same idea.  The carousel was full of riders carrying signs such as "Fight like a Girl" and "never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it." 

 

People posed for photographs in the less crowded space.  I took several photos of  tradeswomen with signs such as "strong union women make American stronger" and "Union Plumber — flush HATE down the drain."  We all moved slowly to 14th St. where the march was supposed to turn from Independence Ave. and go to Constitution Ave. 

 

The march was already there.  If there was a front line, I missed it.  I slipped into the crowd thinking I would march the rest of the way but I could barely move.  It was more of a slow-motion mosh-pit than a march. Think of a very slow mud-slide, inching its way down a slope, while different rocks (i.e. people) slid into spaces as they opened up.

 

By the time I reached Constitution Avenue I was feeling claustrophobic so I stayed on 14th Street to escape the crowd.  So did a lot of other people.  At Pennsylvania Avenue I ran into the same thick crowd I had left at Constitution.  Working my way to the other side, I went on to Freedom Plaza and looked toward the Capitol.  I saw what seemed to be the entire march coming up Pennsylvania Avenue.  But that wasn't the official route.  My guess is that the police diverted part of the line to this broad avenue to reduce the congestion on the official route.  That means there were at least two marches in DC, going on simultaneously; and maybe more.

 

The bleachers on Freedom Plaza were full of people who had decided to watch rather than march.  So were the official bleachers across the road.  The camera riser at the tip of Freedom Plaza, erected for credentialed press to photograph the inaugural parade, was still there.  I’ve tried to get credentials to shoot parades and marches from a riser at that spot for decades and never succeeded. Now the perfect camera spot was mine for the taking, as soon as I worked myself up the steps and into position.  From there I watched people and signs flowing up Pennsylvania Ave. with the Capitol in the back ground.  The perfect view.  What a gift.  Mr. Trump, I owe those lovely shots I took to you.

 

The sea of signs kept coming and coming and coming.  As I watched the crowd and read the signs, I thought about many of the things you have said.  One sign said “WE are what makes American Great.”  Another proclaimed “Love not Hate will make America great.”  These reminded me of your campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” which you adopted from Reagan’s 1980 campaign. 

Historically, America is great when America is good, not when America is greedy.  What can you do to make America good?  Build doors, not walls. Be kind, not cruel. Will you do those things?  Will you make American really great, not just illusorily great?

 

Then there were the chants.  "It's just your first day.  We won't go away" was a popular one.  Although the Women's March started as a protest, in a strange way it was also a celebration.  Cheers repeatedly rippled through the crowd, as though the marchers had spotted a celebrity or were greeting an expected speaker.  Initially I looked around to see who it was.  Eventually I realized that this was just a way of saying “we’re back!” 

 

There were a lot of signs about pussies, and grabbing them.  You probably didn’t even know how many women you insulted when you talked about pussy grabbing. When you were a boy, touching female private parts was considered a form of sport that daring adolescents engaged in to gain status among their peers and put girls in their place.  Most of the country has outgrown that.  Most of today’s young men know better. 

 

Most of today’s young women know they don't have to put up with sexual assault, even unwanted touching.   That's why so many signs said "this pussy grabs back" or "this pussy bites."  They know that 'words matter' as well as actions.  The Presidency is a "bully pulpit" as Teddy Roosevelt pointed out.  Casually talking about grabbing pussy as you have done could bring back the bad old days.

 

I wanted to stay until the last marcher passed, but even in a heavy coat I was shivering from the cold. Around 4:00 pm I retreated to the warmth of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church which was offering warm drinks, snacks and resting space to protestors, or anyone else who dropped in.  The church of President Lincoln has long been a haven for dissidents.  If you are looking for a church to attend when in DC, you might try this one.  It should be an educational experience.

 

I chatted with a group of women from Springfield IL.  After 18 hours on a bus to get to DC, they were about to spend another18 hours to return.  The room we were in had the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation displayed in a secure case.  We had to clear out at 6:00 to make room for a couple of school groups who were spending the night on the floors and pews of the church, before returning home the next day.

 

On my way back I crossed K Street where a couple hundred people were still marching, keeping the cops busy diverting traffic.  It had been a long day but a glorious one.  Some people just weren’t ready for it to end.  Further up 14th Street was Scott Circle, where a Civil War general on his horse presides over Massachusetts Ave.  Earlier a group of elderly women from a nearby retirement home held their own demonstration there so they didn't have to walk.  The statue and the encircling fence were festooned with signs and posters from the Women’s March on Washington.  They should be collectors' items. This was an historic event.

 

©2016 Jo Freeman for SeniorWomen.com