Hundreds of women young and old marched from the Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle to Trump Tower Monday afternoon in protest of the president-elect and his nascent administration's positions on women's rights.
The march was part of a nationwide Women and Allies Strike campaign, which called for women to take collective action in cities across the country. There have been similar, smaller marches in several cities, including Los Angeles, Portland, Houston. According to its Facebook page, the campaign seeks to condemn "any effort to erode the rights of women and other vulnerable groups."
The march began at noon with a rally at Columbus Circle, with a speech by Eve Ensler, the feminist activist and author of The Vagina Monologues. Ensler called upon the crowd to "stand and lead this revolt" and "protest, protect, plan, and prophesize." Several spoken word poetry performances followed.
Eve Ensler with spoken word artists and other organizers. (Joshel Melgarejo/Gothamist)
Around 1:30 p.m., protesters began to march east toward Trump Tower. The reaction of passersby was mixed: one woman honked to show support of the march, but a contingent jeered at the protesters, yelling "Suck it, bitches" and "Get over it, she lost!" A police cordon kept the crowd about a block away from the tower, so protestors gathered in front of the Louis Vuitton store just down Fifth Avenue, where they chanted "Pussy Grabs Back" and "Electors Save Us." The rally lasted until around 9 p.m.
"Taking to the streets is how we're gonna get attention from the government," said Allison Hargrove, 23, who held a sign saying "Trans Lives Matter" at the Columbus Circle rally. "We need to show electors that they have the power not to vote for Trump," she added.
Many attendees said that beyond protesting the coming administration, they showed up at the rally to be around likeminded women.
"I've been feeling a lot of anxiety since the election," said Diane Patmos, 53. "I just feel like I want to be with people who feel the same way."
