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Women’s March on New Jersey Set for Jan. 21 in Trenton

Dozens of buses will head from the Princeton area to Washington D.C. on Jan. 21 for the national Women’s March. But supporters who can’t make the trip or want to make their voices heard closer to home can still participate by heading to New Jersey’s capital instead.

Trenton is one of 170 sister cities that will host marches in solidarity with the marchers in Washington. Women and their allies will gather at the War Memorial in Trenton by 10 a.m. and march half a mile to the New Jersey State House.

The “Women United, Together We Rise” march in Trenton is being organized by a diverse coalition of women, organizations, legislators, and activists.

Organizers said participants at the peaceful march want to send a message to state and national leaders that they expect their civil and human rights to be upheld and protected by both the state and federal governments.

“This march is about recognizing the strength that lies in our diverse communities and the empowerment that comes with setting aside differences for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families here in New Jersey,” said Elizabeth Meyer, founder of the Women’s March on New Jersey. “We want to move forward, not backwards. Human decency has been tossed aside. A gauntlet has been thrown down and we are here to answer the call.”

Reproductive rights and healthcare access are top concerns of participants, organizers said.

“New Jersey has always been a state that stands up for reproductive rights,” said Christine Sadovy of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of  New Jersey. “We march to show that New Jersey’s women, men, and families aren’t backing down – our state’s commitment to women’s health care will continue to get stronger in 2017 and beyond.”

Deb Huber, President of National Organization for Women of New Jersey, said a goal of the march is to make clear to the new administration and to the world that there is no mandate to backtrack on social progress. “We will unite to resist any attempt to do so,” she said.

Trenton artist Tamara Ramos is helping coordinate local march participation.

“It’s very important for the city to participate in this march for women’s rights and equality,” Ramos said, adding that there is not enough discussion in the Trenton community about women’s rights and equality.

“We are at a crucial time and we need to refocus on what is important,” she said. “When you attend the march big cities like Washington that’s great — the energy will be amazing. But when you stand and march for smaller cities and towns like Trenton, it makes an impact on the local community. Now is the time to remember and fight for what our forebearers fought for, and for our next generations to come.”

For a complete list of partners and more march details, visit the  Women’s March on New Jersey event Facebook page.

8 Comments

  1. Why don’t all these women go to D.C. the day before to honor Kellyanne Conway? A tribute to what American women can accomplish but that will be ignored by the national women’s groups which are not really about women.

    1. Because, Mr. Rooney, Ms. Conway does not represent the vast majority of us! Her acceptance of Mr. Trump’s complete lack of respect for women, as evidenced by his disgusting conversation with Billy Bush around grabbing a woman’s “pussy” and saying he “moved on her like a bitch” (to state only ONE out of so many examples from this conversation and the many other horrendous choices he has made.) Ms. Conway has made her choice to work for a man like him but she will not be applauded for those choices. It sickens me. I would never allow this man near my daughter but will have to deal with four years of him as president. I will march alongside my husband and three children to make it clear that we are ready to fight for the love of our country and ALL of its residents.

      1. By your own definition Conway is a minority you refuse to support. Would you have attended a Hillary inauguration with Bill the rapist on stage? Of course you condemn rap music at every opportunity.

        1. No she is ridiculous and rude with self control issues and is annoying on a level that is above defcon 12. Defending a petulant child does not make you great.

  2. I will attend one of these marches, and would like to share my reasons for doing so.

    Since the election, hate crimes and hate speech are on the rise. Hate for our fellow citizens is a direct threat to democracy. I love my country, and the democratic spirit that gave birth to it. Anyone who feels the same, no matter what political party they belong to, needs to speak out against the atmosphere of hate that has seeped into our political process, and affirm the right to “equal protection under the laws” guaranteed to us by the 14th Amendment.

    In addition, throughout the campaign, I heard a steady stream of hurtful and disgusting words about women from Donald Trump and a small segment of his supporters, culminating in the infamous recording of Trump’s boasts of grabbing women by the genitals. It seems that some people and some politicians are operating under the notion that women don’t care if you insult or assault them. I will be marching on the 21st to correct this misperception. Women are here, and we are paying attention. We are watching and listening to our representatives, and they will pay the political consequences if they keep treating us in this way.

  3. I had signed up a while ago for the march in NYC. That was before Trenton. I work on Sat. And I am trying to decide what to do. I can take a train from Metuchen and catch the march around 12:30pm in NYC. Or I can catch a train and catch the march in NJ around 12:30pm but it ends at 1pm. Soooo I am still considering going into NYC unless I can get coverage for my job on Saturday in Metuchen. Any suggestions? I want to support my state but it might make more sense to go to NYC where the march is going on a longer period of time. It takes the same amount of time by train in both directions.

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