Student Activists in the Women’s March

Jan 24, 2017 | Beyond Nueva, News

Nueva students took to the streets of San Francisco for the Women’s March the day after Inauguration. The protest lasted 5 hours, from 3pm to 8pm.

On their way to the march, students saw crowds of people heading down for the rally in buses and Muni cars packed to the brim. They passed several street corner bus stops crowded with people—many of whom were wearing pink knitted hats with pussycat ears, a pointed visual pun—brandishing their protest signs.

The energy before the march was palpable. Students embarked on the long journey up Market Street, joining a crowd of roughly 100,000. It wasn’t long before they were completely surrounded

by fellow protesters dissatisfied with the Trump administration. Despite the large attendance, the protest remained nonviolent.

As the night progressed, it got darker and protesters pulled out battery-powered candles, raising them as they walked the streets. The crowd pushed on despite the rain. Many people without umbrellas got completely drenched, occasionally holding their signs up to keep the water out of their faces.

Students had spoken about religion, race, gender, and mental illness just a few days before in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and many students had also spent time that day making signs for the protest. Despite the astounding scale of the entire protest, Nueva was well-prepared for the march.

The energy before the march was palpable. Students embarked on the long journey up Market Street, joining a crowd of roughly 100,000.