NWU at Women’s March on Washington

About 50 members of the National Writers Union and our friends and family rose before dawn on January 21. We put on our pussy hats—or reasonable facsimile thereof—and climb aboard a fleet of UAW buses that formed a caravan from New York City down to the Women’s March on Washington.

We demonstrated in support of laws and policies that protect, uphold, and advance human rights and environmental protections—and a de facto condemnation of Donald Trump’s misogynistic, xenophobic, racist, and discriminatory rhetoric and proposals. 

Nearly 500,000 people particpated in the nation’s capital. More than four million joined forces in 400 sister marches around the world, including one in Antarctica—making it the largest single-day global demonstration ever. 

Among  NWU’s friends on UAW Bus 2 to Washington, DC was Andy Tesoro, the NYC architect who designed the clubhouse at Trump’s National Golf Club in Westchester County, NY. He recounted being stiffed when it was time for Trump to pay up in a video for the Clinton campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmfSWPmw86k; it went viral, accumulating more than 60 million views.

“I’ve been feeling very glum since the election,” he said.  “But marching with NWU really re-energized and refocused me. It was such a privilege to experience this historic event with such a smart, kind, diverse group … committed to the rights of working men and women,” he added. 

The long day was remarkably cheerful. Shared feelings ran deep and wide. At the New Carrolton station in DC, where our bus dropped us off, a metro policeman wore a pink pussy hat with his Kevlar jacket. From Capitol South subway station, we were only able to walk three blocks before melding into a mass of people as far as the eye could see in every direction.  At that point, we couldn’t “march” because we couldn’t  move, but for three or four hours we stood there to be counted. 

Women’s March organizers have started the campaign’s next phase—10 Actions for the first 100 Days.  Sign up here to keep the movement going.  https://www.womensmarch.com/100/

 

 

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