On Inauguration Day — Friday, January 20 — President-elect Donald J. Trump will drop the hyphenated title and become, simply, President Trump.
The next day, Wellesley residents (and thousands of others) will gather to join in the Women’s March for America. Despite the name, these marches are open to everyone. The largest march will take place in Washington, DC, but many other cities around the US and the world will have their own marches. Boston is expected to attract over 60,000 marchers.
The purpose of the march according to the organizers’ website is for demonstrators to:
“…stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families — recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country. The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us…In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights.”
Rani Elwy, a Wellesley resident who is headed down to Washington to march had this to say: “I had originally planned on attending the Boston March, which I think will be just as powerful as the DC one, but I realized that I was at a time in my life where attending the DC one was possible…and I was able to make time this weekend for this really important expression of free speech. I chose to attend the DC march because I wanted to make my voice heard as close as possible to the President and his administration who will have just been sworn in. I’m so excited to march with thousands of women with whom we share so many beliefs—in social justice, women’s rights as human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the need to be sensible on gun rights, the importance of immigrants in this country. I am the daughter of an immigrant, and my husband is an immigrant. This is personal.”
Co-chair of the Wellesley Democratic Town Committee Susan Ryan, says, “I will be traveling to Washington DC by train to participate in the Women’s March. I know of four or five other Wellesley residents who are traveling to DC, but there are likely many others…and as many as 100 other Wellesley residents will be traveling into Boston for the sister march here. I feel it is essential to do everything I can to stand up and be counted as someone who supports reproductive freedoms, universal health care, immigration reform, criminal justice reform, social justice, environmental protections, civil liberties, freedom of the press, and the myriad other issues that are now facing dire setbacks in light of the election of Donald Trump and the appointment of his uniquely unqualified cabinet. The incoming Administration seems intent on ignoring and trying to repress dissent in every way possible, and we need to make sure our voices are heard. While I have been disappointed in the outcome of previous elections, I have never felt the need to stand up and object in this way; this President-elect is egregiously unqualified to serve, is highly unethical, and is dangerous to our country. I anticipate that this will be just the first of many marches and protests that will be held over the course of next four years, as I and others work to stop the erosion of our rights and institutions.”
While Donald Trump won the big prize on Election Day, results from Wellesley show Hillary Clinton easily beating Trump among local voters in the U.S. Presidential Election, with 86% of registered voters doing their civic duty. Clinton/Kaine nabbed about 69% of the Wellesley vote, with Trump/Pence settling for 22%.
Some of that 22% who worked to get Trump elected aren’t settling for a quiet feeling of satisfaction — they’re headed down to Washington, a place where they can surround themselves with the like-minded and celebrate with abandon. Wellesley resident Ginny Greiman, who served as a Massachusetts delegate and on Trump’s Massachusetts leadership team says, “I am looking forward to a great celebration with our 42 Massachusetts delegates almost all of whom will be attending the Inauguration.”
Greiman has a full schedule planned and says that she is looking forward to attending all the events including the Welcome Celebration Concert, The Massachusetts Welcome Celebration, the Inauguration, the Parade, and the Inaugural Freedom Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
Gwen Baker, a Wellesley Town Meeting member and a Republican Town Committee member, says she is “…here in Washington and working as a volunteer and attending all the events including the Inaugural Ball. I have tickets to everything.”
Inspired to participate, one way or another? Here’s where to find more information:
Boston Women’s March for America
When: Saturday, January 21, 2017, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Where: Boston Common, at the corner of Beacon and Charles Street
For more information on the the specifics of the march and to register, please click on this link:
Women’s March on Washington
When: Saturday, January 21, 2017, @10:00 AM
Where: At the corner of Independence Ave. and Third St. SW
Inauguration events, ticketed and non-ticketed
Should you wish to head down to DC yourself to see the 2017 Inaugural Parade, it will take place in the afternoon of January 20 and will proceed down 15 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House. In the past, public entrances to the parade route opened at 6:30am and the parade itself began at 2:30pm.
