Trump’s Presidency and the Women’s March in Montreal
It was the 20th of January, Trump’s inauguration did not come with a cheer because many people have been very distraught as to how their “democracy” could have failed them. Their pain is sometimes projected outwardly towards the people celebrating with MAGA hats as well as through vandalism in various parts of the USA and even more surprising to me, in Montreal.
On the 21st, many protests ensued in many countries and this time in solidarity with the Women’s March in Washington. There was even one in Montreal in which I decided to participate in. From what I was there to see, thankfully, the protest was a peaceful one given the size of the crowd (with a visual estimate of people numbering the thousands) filling up most of the block. Although there was no march (its was a gathering) things went smoothly even if it was difficult to hear.
Both women and men of all ages gathered at l’Esplanade right outside of Place des Arts metro. Even small children helped raise those signs and share the message. Many adults wore hats with references to Trump’s statements about sexual harassment. A number of groups were present, including members of the LGBT community, religious groups, and even the CSN.
One of the organisations that went up to the microphone was The Raging Grannies, well known for their humorous songs. Their version of the song “Il y a Longtemps que Je T’aime,” in which they replaced “t’aime” with “lutte” in a back and forth manner with the crowd was weel-received.
I’m unsure about the accurateness of the title of this Montreal event. The “Manif des Femmes” represented multiple other communities. Thus, the entire objective of the protest became a bit fuzzy, and in the end it just seemed more like a blanket statement of shared feelings towards Trump.
Now the whole world will just have to accept that Trump is the president of the United States and stop focusing on anti trump rhetoric and focus more on the issues for which they are advocating.
Written By: Mohammed Choudhury