Women’s March returns under a new Trump term, 8 years after first making waves

Hundreds of thousands of Angelenos took part in the inaugural Women’s March in 2017 to protest the election of President Donald Trump. The nationwide march spawned thousands of pink knitted "pussyhats” and creative protest signs. With Trump back in office eight years later, organizers are hoping to rekindle the momentum at downtown L.A.'s Pershing Square on Saturday.

Women's March Foundation has organized other marches since that first one, but this will be its first on International Women’s Day.

The focus of the march

More than 10,000 people have registered for the march downtown, said Emiliana Guereca, president of Women’s March Foundation.

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The hope is that camaraderie, speakers and live music galvanize attendees to raise their voices against what Guereca says is a familiar threat to women’s and civil rights. Guereca cited the 2022 Supreme Court decision that dismantled federal abortion protections as one reason behind the march. But she said women face other threats from the White House, including the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency cuts, executive orders on immigration, cuts to entitlement programs and the dismantling of the Department of Education.

“Immigrants, women, anything other than what [the Trump administration feels] is the ‘proper’ citizen in the United States is in danger,” Guereca said. “When we stay silent, we are in danger.”

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, one of the speakers at the event, said in a statement to LAist that the march is a message to the Trump White House.

“Women’s rights are not up for debate,” Solis said. “The fight for healthcare access, justice and equality continues, as we demand the change we deserve and push for a more just and equitable future for all."

Protesters in Los Angeles last year commemorate the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

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Women's March Foundation

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Other speakers include attorney Gloria Allred; Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents Culver City and several parts of L.A. including downtown; L.A. City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Eunisses Hernandez; as well as transgender activist Bamby Salcedo.

Ultimately, Guereca said, the march is a call to action.

“Without women, the world doesn’t go around,” Guereca said. “We carry the world. And then without our brothers, we do not get to equal [standing]. So we need everyone in this fight.”

Zonia Lopez said she plans to show up on Saturday with a poster that says, “I am my mother’s voice.”

Lopez said attending Saturday’s march is “personal.” Her mother, Maria del Carmen Lopez, remains missing after she was kidnapped from her home in Mexico two years ago. Lopez told LAist that she wants to stand up for the safety and security of women and keep her mother’s name “relevant and alive.”.

“Knowing that just like so many other women who are going to be there showing support for someone that can’t be there for whatever reason it may be, we’re their voice,” Lopez said. “They’re not alone.”

The details

International Women’s Day March & Rally
When: Saturday, March 8, starting at 10 a.m.
Where: Pershing Square to City Hall downtown
More: Details at this site. Additional protests are taking place across the country and world on International Women’s Day. You can find the march closest to you here.