Will You Walk Out Tomorrow (1/20)?

Do you know about the organization called “Women’s March”? I initially heard of it by that name during the first “No Kings” protest activities last year. For some reason, they held their own anti-Trump protests rather than joining with the main ones that day. They have continued to plan and promote various activities, and their next one is tomorrow, January 20. 

The first Women’s March event was held in 2017, the day after Donald Trump’s first inauguration. Most of you probably remember how masses of women protested, wearing pink cat-eared hats. The “pussyhats,” the event’s iconic visual symbol, were worn by hundreds of thousands of women in over 600 cities to represent solidarity against the perceived misogyny of the new POTUS. 

Their next major action was on October 2, 2021. It focused on defending abortion rights in response to new restrictions, especially Texas’s SB 8 “heartbeat” law, and fears that Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Thousands rallied in Washington, D.C., marching to the Supreme Court. On the same day there were also marches across all 50 U.S. states with focus on abortion rights.

And now, tomorrow, Women’s March is promoting massive walkouts at 2 p.m. January 20 was chosen as the day for this new protest activity as it is the end of the first year of Trump’s 2.0 presidency (although it has been so bad it seems like it has been more than just a year).

Women’s March is calling tomorrow’s action the Free America Walkout, “because we will walk out of work, school, and commerce because a Free America begins the moment we stop cooperating with fascism.”

The vision of Women’s March is clearly stated on their website: “Women’s March is building a base of feminists to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. By 2050, we will be a feminist-led movement that ensures anyone and everyone has the freedom to lead empowered lives in safety and security in their bodies, in their communities, and throughout the country.”

The year 2050 sounds far into the future, but that is only 24 years from now. And their goal includes three complicated matters:

1) Promoting Feminist Economies – “We seek an economic system that values the rights and contributions of all, and that supports safety and dignity for everyone. These feminist values prioritize stewardship and caregiving, and the just distribution of collective resources.

“We’re taking on the Billionaire Boys Club, and fighting for a wealth tax to begin reversing the grotesque hoarding of wealth … .”

2) Reimagining Democracy – “We need a democracy that works for all, in which everyone can participate fully. The opponents of multi-racial democracy have shown they are willing to use any means, from partisan gerrymandering and racist voter suppression to insurrectionary violence to promote minority rule.”

3) Ending White Supremacy – “To build a multi-racial feminist future rooted in values of justice, we must reduce the death grip that white supremacy has on hundreds of millions of people, including many white women. We also know that white supremacist ideology is fueled by patriarchy and misogyny … .”

Strong resistance to the POTUS’s leaning toward fascism is imperative NOW. I am grateful for what Women’s March has planned for tomorrow. Even though there is nothing I can walk out of and I don’t have the energy/stamina to join a protest march, I strongly encourage those of you who can to walk out of your place of employment—or wherever you are—at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Walk out because the future of our democracy in the U.S. is at stake. Trump’s words and actions during this first year of his second term have been incredibly bad in so many ways. Here is a list of just a few of those ways.

* He has lied and/or uttered misleading statements daily.

* He has greatly increased his personal wealth in ways that should have led to impeachment.

* He has endangered the good standing of the U.S. in international affairs.

* He has illegally abducted the president of Venezuela and seized some of that country’s oil.

* He is threatening to destroy NATO by his eagerness to gain control of Greenland.

Thanks, Women’s March, for all you have planned for tomorrow’s Free America Walkout!