It wasn't about supporting Hillary Clinton. It wasn’t about trying to hog all the limelight. It wasn’t about a paid political agenda, funded by rich Democrats. No. It was a spontaneous protest against a man who stands for all that is going wrong in a country that could until recently claim to be the “greatest democracy in the world”.
The inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of America somehow found itself eclipsed by a women’s movement, whose sheer size is nothing short of historical. The Women’s March took place across the globe, protesting against oppression of women, racism, Islamophobia, sexual assault, the rise of alt-right neo-Nazis and the attempt at stifling the liberal media.
Women’s march started out as “a Facebook post by a Hawaii retiree" and quickly became "an unprecedented international rebuke of a new president" that packed cities large and small — from London to Los Angeles, Paris to Park City, Utah, Miami to Melbourne, Australia.
Yes. Someday, in the future, people shall look back upon this day as the beginning of a revolution.
![]() |
The campaign was not only the first step towards a world that is more egalitarian, just and progressive; it was also a visual spectacle. [Photo: Reuters] |
The campaign was not only the first step towards a world that is more egalitarian, just and progressive; it was also a spectacle in bringing back progressive and inclusive politics to the American context. A tide of happy, angry, determined patriots, trying to take back their freedom and democracy from the pudgy hands of a billionaire demagogue, whose agenda seems to be hinging on white Christian supremacy, and a sea of pink hats and rather imaginative signs: everyone was trying to reclaim their identity.
And while there have been some reports of rioting, vandalism and violence, ironically in the Democrat-heavy areas, the majority of this peaceful protest seemed as full of wit as it was with anger. The signs both tell the story of what this world has come to and also show the way to wriggle out of this new legitimisation of widescale oppression.
Because being different does not mean being any less
The most powerful sign of the #WomensMarch. pic.twitter.com/IFHea1vykN
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) January 21, 2017
The only way to tackle the toxic Islamophobia, Trump wants to spread
— Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) January 21, 2017
"Not saints, not whores, just women." "We just added English so you wouldn't get scared."#WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/OZB5V2Z6DF
— omid safi (@ostadjaan) January 23, 2017
Diversity makes America great. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/CbtScwc8gJ
— Miranda Keeling (@MirandaKeeling) January 21, 2017
These signs are supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Seen at #womensmarch pic.twitter.com/kxPtmPMkIc
— CK ????????????????????♊️???? (@cmkinmia) January 23, 2017
Best sign so far. #WomensMarch @WomensMarchCLT pic.twitter.com/JIytH3RyFL
— terfle (@terfle) January 21, 2017
This anger was not a Stranger Thing than the presidency itself
Eleven sign at the #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/W7IgZszqAZ
— Stranger Things (@itsSTquotes) January 23, 2017
This gentle but scary passive aggressive sign
When British women get angry.... #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/AVtnKbp8Pu
— Julia Baird (@bairdjulia) January 23, 2017
You don’t have to be able to write, to be able to protest
This sign wins. h/t to @tommiesunshine for discovering it #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/7I9YXqBQKO
— Nomiki Konst (@NomikiKonst) January 23, 2017
Because in Hermione we trust
OKAY THIS WINS. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/aSWYAe59NX
— Tessa Netting (@tessanetting) January 22, 2017
This is perfect #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/nT84AAE0bU
— Jack Mull (@J4CKMULL) January 22, 2017
You can’t have a new Mad King in real life without a tonne of Game of Thrones shade being thrown at you
Game of Thrones signs at the #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/emoGv5QLHX
— Jon Snow (@LordSnow) January 22, 2017
@LordSnow @AndrewNK pic.twitter.com/D7akA5rNgp
— Andrew Pfister (@andrewpfister) January 22, 2017
I love this sign @SarahLerner made for the #WomensMarch. pic.twitter.com/Wi4PixbX8z
— Rebecca Cohen (@GynoStar) January 21, 2017
Things are THAT bad
Best. Sign. Ever. #WomensMarch #womensmarchnyc #sobadevenintrovertsarehere pic.twitter.com/TmJydvooqu
— Susan Kaufman (@skaufman4050) January 21, 2017
My favorite sign. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/T2tZLjJeC2
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) January 21, 2017
Gandalf has some important sentiments to express
The Women’s March in London was the longest I have been on. See the rest of my message attached. pic.twitter.com/q7QC4Jvg0S
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) January 22, 2017
The right way to go about it
THIS. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/u26qpFFcqT
— Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) January 22, 2017
Steve Buscemi approves
Steve Buscemi poses with a man who turned his dismissal from The Big Lebowski into an effective #WomensMarch protest sign. pic.twitter.com/G1ysa2fsVv
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) January 22, 2017
Even the pups know how important it is
These puppers protesting at the #WomensMarch melt my heart pic.twitter.com/M3HOJWY5e6
— Kait ???? (@itzzkait) January 22, 2017
Climate change is real! #WomensMarch #scicomm #science #polarbear pic.twitter.com/dcm4drRGjv
— Mollie Bloudoff-Inde (@mbloudoff) January 21, 2017
And the little kids
Same #WomensMarchCLT pic.twitter.com/SqQxJGcDlR
— Ryan Pitkin (@pitkin_ryan) January 21, 2017
Little black girls, you warm my heart. #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/5HVDLNcRoO
— Kiara Nelson (@KiaraLynne__) January 21, 2017
Uh oh!
We have a winner for best sign. Can I just live here at the #WomensMarch? pic.twitter.com/20qF449zL2
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) January 21, 2017
Don’t poke the Mean Girls, you shall pay dearly
Another favorite #WomensMarch #womensmarchonwashington sign pic.twitter.com/B0SROMS5px
— K. Locke (@Bibliogato) January 21, 2017
It's a revolution, and it has only just begun.