Photos and Reasons for the Sacramento Women’s March

Sacramento Women’s March behind the screen, toward the Capitol steps.

The Sacramento Women’s March on Saturday was very well organized, peaceful and it brought floods of memories back to me about previous marches from days gone by in Washington, D.C. My husband had been joking about whether I had a bandana to wear in place of a tear-gas mask when we left our home in Land Park to walk over to Southside Park for the start of the march. It wasn’t odd because I was tear gassed in a march against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C. in October of 1969.

It was my senior year in high school, yet I hitchhiked with two friends across the country to participate in that march against the war. It was one of those things you just feel compelled to do. Toward the end of the rallies, tear gas was everywhere, and we frantically had our thumbs out to catch a ride. A car stopped and my friend, Gary Joyner, whom we used to call Big Al after the guy on Laugh-In, poked his head inside and politely asked the driver if he was heading west.

My eyes were watering from the tear gas. It doesn’t matter which way he’s driving, I yelled, and pushed Big Al into the car, followed by my friend Laurie, and we sat squashed in the back of this cramped VW bug all the way to Philadelphia. I didn’t go back to another march on Washington until 1986 when I joined my mother and friends for a massive N.O.W. pro-choice rally. That means it’s been 30 years since I attended a march.

Now, I know people who might ask why did 20,000 women, men and children participate in the Sacramento Women’s March yesterday? What did they hope to accomplish because, you know, the election is over. These people don’t want to talk about politics anymore. But the thing is this is not politics, not really. This is simply human rights. It’s about sharing our hearts and furthering common decency. About protecting our earth, each other, and staying true to our core values. Never before in the life have I felt that my personal core values had come close to shattering.

This is not politics.

It’s not sour grapes. We refuse to live in fear or hate. We choose love, laughter and harmony.

This Sacramento Realtor and her husband participated in the Sacramento Women’s March because we are human beings. Sure, I’m a woman and he’s a Jew; we’ve both been marginalized, attacked and our rights are in danger, but so are the rights of millions and millions of other people, co-workers, friends, associates, family members, and marching is a statement.

The Sacramento Women’s March was a way to show solidarity and stand up for justice. To put the world on notice we are not slinking away and will fight if it becomes necessary. We are part of the solution and hope for the future. We are not the problem. We are America. This is what democracy looks like. I’m so glad that I went.

We heard from our mayor, Darrell Steinberg, State Comptroller Betty Yee, Legislators Angelique Ashby, Kevin McCarty, among others. A comment that struck home with me was when Betty Yee paraphrased one of the signs that read I can’t believe we’re still protesting this shit. Yeah, stuff I protested 50 years ago needs louder voices again. I can’t believe it, either. We will stand up to racists, we will fight for equality for women, immigrant rights, healthcare for everyone, clean water and air, our Constitution, and probably punch a few Nazis along the way.

Below are more photos from the Sacramento Women’s March I hope you will enjoy:

The crowd gathered for the 1.2 mile march at Southside Park, on 6th and W Streets.

Protestors turned the corner of 5th and headed up Capitol.

Marching up Capitol to the Sacramento Capitol Building

We reached the lawn of the Sacramento Capitol.

View from the Capitol Steps down the Sacramento Mall.

Elizabeth Weintraub rests her back at the Sacramento Women’s March.

Everybody wanted to pet the Shar Pei at the Sacramento Women’s March.

One of the best signs at the Sacramento Women’s March: Grandma is Pissed.