The crowd may have been smaller than last year鈥檚 women鈥檚 march, but the cheers were still loud and the messages mighty.
A few thousand people gathered at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver Saturday for the second annual Women鈥檚 March 2018.
With signs in hand more than 2,000 women and supporters attended to commemorate one year since the historic Jan. 21 Women鈥檚 March on Washington took place, in protest of U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 inauguration.
Meanwhile, other marches held for the first time took place in , Chilliwack and Salmon Arm. A march in due to lack of coordination, drawing a small group of about 20.
While last year鈥檚 march took a theme of allied support for B.C.鈥檚 neighbours to the south, this year focussed on the need for continued commorodary against racism, discrimination, assault against sex workers, and a need to increase support for the working mother and the fight for equal pay.
鈥淐oast to coast, we march on because women鈥檚 rights are human rights,鈥� event co-organizer Jodie Ortega yelled to the crowd.
People gathered from around the for the first Fraser Valley Women's March in .
鈥� Chilliwack Progress (@TheProgress)
For Michelle Lindholm, originally from Ontario but now living in Vancouver, said participating in the march was a way to create change for the next generation 鈥� including her younger cousin.
While many of the problems have been brought to light, such as violence against woman and harassment, Lindholm said, it鈥檚 still happening.
鈥淲e鈥檙e having these conversations now. We鈥檙e also asking our young men 鈥榳hy is this behaviour okay?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭he conversation鈥檚 we鈥檙e having with that 鈥� it鈥檚 being brought to light 鈥� but we鈥檙e still having problems with that.鈥�
Lindholm was marching in memory of her late aunt, who she said taught her to never be silent and to fight.
Organized by March On Vancouver, speakers at the event included Annie Ohana, a teacher at Surrey鈥檚 L.A. Matheson secondary school, transgender sex worker and activist Hailey Heartless and Arian Yetbarek from Black Lives Matter Vancouver. Sharon Gregson, advocate for $10 a day childcare also spoke.
Group calling for here :
鈥� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)
Fighting through tears, Noor Fadel, the 18-year-old Muslim woman who was assaulted on the Canada Line SkyTrain in December, shared a powerful poem to the crowd about her experience.
鈥淲e are the finish line for the voices who were inspired to speak up,鈥� she told the crowd.
鈥淲e unify together.鈥�
