On Saturday 21st January, millions of demonstrators took part in women-led marches across the world, protesting Donald Trump’s inauguration and the threat to democratic rights that he represents. We publish here a collection of reports and pictures from the mass protests against the newly-inaugurated US President.
On 21st January 2017, millions of demonstrators took part in women-led marches across the world, protesting Donald Trump’s inauguration and the threat to democratic rights that he represents.
At the London protest, anti-Trump rhetoric was widespread, with thousands of protesters wearing cat ears and pink “pussy hats”, reclaiming a word the new US President infamously employed to describe how he violently grabs women without consent.
These historic demonstrations, however, went further than just declaring a fight against one world leader and his blatant misogyny. The 100,000 protesters in London included people of all ages, genders and races, coming together in solidarity to defend the long-fought-for rights of women, migrants, refugees and the LGBTQ community, as well as the right to a living wage for all workers and protection of the environment.
A common placard among protesters was “girls just wanna have fun-damental human rights” – a demand that is relevant to all workers today as their right to shelter and food are systematically stripped away by a system where the profits of the 1% are protected at all cost.
What these inspirational marches have demonstrated is the seething anger of the 99% and their reluctance to go down without a fight. One woman at the march in London proclaimed that she had fought for these issues her entire life and refused now to sit back and watch them be reversed.
Socialist Appeal supporters were present on the demo in London. As we discussed with other protesters, the only way to fight the likes of Trump and the rest of the ruling class is with bold socialist policies. Only under socialism can we finally put an end to the attacks on women and all oppressed groups, by guaranteeing access to housing, food, work, free medical and social care, a sustainable environment, and a world free from division and discrimination.
This is the world Marxists are fighting for, one that is a far cry from the current reality under capitalism. As was painted on many placards at this weekend’s protest: “we have nothing to lose but our chains” – a statement written by Marx in 1848, which is more relevant today than ever before.
By Daisy Powell
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Expanding the worldwide women’s march
On 21st January, millions of women and men flooded the streets of cities across the world to participate in an international march in support of women’s rights. From Los Angeles to New York City, and London to Berlin (and even Antarctica): demonstrators everywhere marched in solidarity on the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Protesting against patriarchy, sexism, and the rise of right-wing “populists”, those on the demos held signs that read “keep your policies off my body”; “a woman’s place is in the revolution”; or “grab patriarchy by the balls”, amongst many other slogans.
More specifically, these protests pointed to Trump’s likely adverse impact on women’s rights—namely: the incoming administration’s proposed cuts to welfare and public services (which will disproportionately affect working-class women and women of color); income inequality and low wages; uncompensated social and domestic labor; and attacks on reproductive freedom.
While the demonstrations primarily focused on women’s rights and combating sexism, protesters and organizations worldwide gathered in solidarity with other groups that will likely come under attack during the Trump administration: immigrants; members of the LGBTQ community; the disabled; racial minorities; and other marginalized individuals in society. Pride flags, Black Lives Matter signs, and pro-refugee posters were all on display throughout the world. Ultimately, this was not just a women’s march, but a march for minorities, the environment, and an end to racism march.
Where next?
Following on from these inspiring mass demonstrations is the question of: where next in the fight against Trump and the bigoted ideas he represents?
Throughout the US elections, there was much focus on individual sexist and racist behavior. But the question that has often been missing is on what enables such attitudes to persist and spread. After all, Trump is a symptom of an already existing malady. Sexism and racism are not the products of one misogynist bigot, but are entirely systemic. They are highly concentrated in our political systems, completely institutionalized in our economic systems, and fully entrenched in our social relations and every day lives.
The true culprit is capitalism, which exploits women, minorities and the most vulnerable groups in society, creating the conditions that facilitate both sexism and racism, while limiting opportunities for social or class cohesion. Sexism becomes structural and racism epidemic as they are used to advance a neoliberal elitist agenda.
To tackle this agenda, women need to go beyond the demonstrations that react to the very obvious forms of sexism, and build a socialist movement that takes all of these vulnerable groups into account. Our fight stands a greater chance when it co-exists with struggles against racism and moves forward in solidarity with migrants and the working-class. After all, it is the women of these demographics that will suffer most from Trump’s policies. These calls for struggle and solidarity were contained within some of the slogans and content of the march; now what is needed to move forward is a clearer articulation of working class struggles, which have the potential to cut across the divides of race and gender.
The most important characteristic of the demonstrations was the diversity of the crowds. The entire movement shed light on the potential for women to organize with minorities, the labor movement, and environmental activists to fight for real social justice. One of the most powerful slogans at the demonstrations was “I am not free while any individual is in chains”. In a capitalist system, where social issues are interconnected, collective organization is key.
Fight sexism! Fight racism! Fight capitalism!
Tackling sexism in the era of Trump will be a massive struggle, which is why feminists need the maximum solidarity and support to build an emancipatory alternative society. Social justice movements must channel their collective power to liberate all marginalized individuals and working people struggling to make a living. While the demonstrations were powerful, moving, and amazing in their scope, they were only the beginning of what must be an ongoing process; to organize more frequently and in conjunction with other groups – because our struggles are ultimately one and the same.
This means aligning with trade unions and fighting for full employment, the protection of labor, and a reduction of the working week and the increase of leisure time. This means aligning with working class families to demand affordable housing and the right to remain in our communities. It means demanding free universal healthcare and the decommodification of higher education so that we can continue to learn far into adulthood. It means building and linking movements to end to rape culture, sexual violence, and harassment. This also means aligning with Black Lives Matter movements (and other movements rooted in minority communities) to protest against discriminatory policies towards individuals of color, and demand civil and social rights for oppressed racial groups and the LGBTQ community. Together, we must fight against nationalism, imperialism and the militarism that produces wars and the deaths of innocents with no end in sight. Together, we must align with environmental activists to wrestle power from fossil-fuel corporations and curb carbon emissions. We must collectively raise the minimum wage, fight for the nationalization of the banks, and for an end to a system which values profit over people.
These demonstrations have shown that mass movements on a global scale—organizing internationally and across social groups—are possible. The struggle for social justice that cuts across ethnic, racial, and gender barriers, is bound up in the struggle for the emancipation of the working class. We need to continue to unite for each other’s struggles, fight tooth-and-nail, and link our demands. We need to learn from the most marginalized, organize the unorganized, and start more movements for genuine social change. If we are to resist the ravaging of the Trump administration, we need to create a coalition of solidarity. Above all, we need to stand united through our most effective expression on the streets and challenge the logic of capitalism—a system that is neglecting those it was never designed to protect.
By Jessica Walker, LSE Marxists
Trump, healthcare, and the fight for our rights
On January 21st, an estimated three million people all over the world participated in the Women’s March. I went to the Women’s March in London, where approximately 100,000 people gathered to show solidarity with women and others protesting everywhere.
The march displayed a massive pushback against Trump’s policy goals: defunding Planned Parenthood; repealing the Affordable Care Act; appointing judges that will overturn Roe v. Wade; banning Muslim immigrants from entering the U.S.; refusing refugees; eliminating any deferred action plans for undocumented immigrants; building a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border – to name a few. The march’s official statement can be found here.
This protest was undeniably anti-Trump and pro-choice. Reproductive rights and indictments of Trump’s rhetoric were expressed through a common theme: pussy – a reference to a leaked video of the new US President boasting about his ability to assault women; or, as he said, “grab ‘em by the pussy”.
Popular signs read: “This Pussy Grabs Back”; “Grab ‘Em By the Patriarchy”; and “This Pussy Has Claws”. Some people drew whiskers on their faces. Pink knit hats brought a rosy hue to crowds all over the world. Known as the Pussy Hat Project, the hats reclaim a derogatory term while demonstrating resistance to Trump’s sexist remarks and policies.
While this march had a fantastic turnout, it is only a public display of resistance. Resistance against Trump must be consistent, material, and politically engaging. This is the way forward.
America and healthcare
The Women’s Marches in the USA highlighted an important issue in the United States: healthcare. The Republican Congress and Trump have made it their priority to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and defund Planned Parenthood.
President Trump has already signed an executive order directing his administration to begin all legal actions to stop the ACA from functioning. According to the Congressional Budget Office in 2015, 26 million Americans do not have healthcare now. Repealing the ACA without replacing it will cause 18 million more people to lose access to healthcare. This number is estimated to increase each year and reach 59 million in 2026. Those in support of the repeal are working on a plan for replacing the ACA. Part of this plan involves turning Medicaid, a federal system, into block grants to individual states. The main issue with this “solution” is that these grants will not increase each year with inflation or the rising cost of healthcare. Despite this, President Trump continues to promise healthcare for all.
Meanwhile, Congress Republicans are focused on removing any Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, despite the fact that any Medicaid funding the organization receives is already unable to be used for abortions. This cuts the organization’s revenue almost in half; it gets 43% of its funding from Medicaid. The push to defund Planned Parenthood started when two maliciously-edited videos were released claiming to show the organization selling fetal tissue. The videos have been denounced as frauds. Nevertheless, they are cited as evidence in Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood provides contraceptive services, education, and basic healthcare screenings for five million people each year.
The removal of state benefits poses a great concern, and millions of people are in danger of losing access to basic healthcare. The Women’s March needs to be the spark for a mass political movement against Trump, Congress, and the system they represent.
By Madelyn Cox-Guerra, Oxford Marxists
