A Women’s March and immigration rights demonstration merged Saturday to become an anti-Trump rally that drew thousands to the Mission.
With Donald Trump set to return to the country’s highest office in just two days, the anxiety was palpable.
Many women and their allies who joined the event fear reproductive rights will be threatened by the new administration. Immigrants, meanwhile, expressed worry about the feds coming to knock on their doors as Trump ramps up deportations.
Mayela Carrasco, artistic director of the dance troupe Loco Bloco, which co-organized the protest, said the problem is bigger than one person.
“People point out Donald Trump, but he’s just the face of something larger happening within our country,” she told The Standard. “We can use our art as a protest.”
The march, which took place along with hundreds of similar events throughout the nation, kicked off with a rally at 24th and Bryant streets and concluded with a rally at Dolores Park.
Despite the concerns of attendees, the vibes were electric.
Dance groups took turns performing along the march as Mission Street filled with an eclectic crowd.
“I think it is fitting that the sun is shining down on the Mission today, because God is looking down on us,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said at the rally before the march. “I see white, I see Black, I see Asian, I see Latino, I see gay, I see straight, I see old, I see young. We are united for our people.”
Chiu, who reiterated that San Francisco will remain a sanctuary city, was one of many speakers to push back against what they see as racist and destructive rhetoric toward undocumented immigrants.
“As someone with an undocumented father, it sucks to have to worry about them,” said Get Semami, an attendee. “I’m tired of people taking our people and separating our families.”
For many at the protest, like D’Arcy Richardson, the whole thing felt like déjà vu — or a sequel to a movie they hated the first time.
“We are the true Americans,” Richardson said. “We believe in democracy and take care of our neighbors who are less fortunate than us.”
Several protesters dusted off signs they had made against the first Trump administration. This time, they appeared in a sea of pink pussy hats along with the likenesses of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
Now, many attendees said, the stakes are higher. Unlike in 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court has a conservative majority, and Roe vs. Wade has been overturned.
And, even though “Not my president” signs made the rounds, like they did eight years ago, Trump won the popular vote this time. Still, several protesters said they feel that a silent majority of Americans are on their side.
“This is simply a war on progressive women — a war on strong women,” Gabriela Castelan said.
“We are not going to sit down,” she added. “You can’t wage a war against all of us.”
