Last Saturday I joined thousands of people to participate in the Women's March in London. I had never been to a protest that size before, and I was excited to participate in the march. I met a friend near the start point at Grosvenor Square, and the crowds quickly built up around us. The march ended up being much bigger than anyone expected, and crowds flooded the streets running off the square.
With the election of Trump, it felt important to stand up and speak out for the rights of many sections of society which will likely have their rights infringed upon or removed altogether. The aim of the march was as a form of solidarity with protests in the US, but there were many other issues raised within the march. There was a focus on issues that affect women in the UK & Ireland, such as protests against abortion laws in Ireland, the Yarlswood Immigration Centre, and cuts made under our current government, as well as many, many others. It was a fantastic, passionate atmosphere at the march, and it was wonderful to see so many people caring about a diverse range of issues. There was a big range of organisations represented there, including Amnesty International, Stop The War, Black Lives Matter, The Women's Equality Party, various unions, the Catholic Association For International Peace, and far more than I can possibly remember. There was also a big range in ages at the march, from babies to older people, and the march organisers had face painting for kids at the start. There were even a few men, which was heartening to see. I can't begin to describe the feelings I had taking part in the march, it was overwhelming but in a positive way. It was liberating and empowering in a way I've never felt before, and I've never been so convinced of our ability to change the world for the better.
I took a lot of photos during the march (because, obviously), and I've included quite a few below. My main focus was to capture the messages on the banners and signs, but this is just a tiny selection of the massive number of creative banners I saw on the day. If you were there, or at any other women's march, on the day I would love to hear your experiences. And if you weren't, I'd love to know which is your favourite banner!
If you want to get involved with what the Women's March organisers are doing next, this is a great start.
