Tens of thousands of women will gather in downtown Chicago on Saturday, January 21 to send a message to incoming President Donald Trump that the rights of women will not take a back seat under the new administration. Beginning with a 10am rally at the intersection of Jackson Drive and Columbus Drive, close to 60,000 demonstrators are expected to attend the weekend event, which will culminate with a march to Federal Plaza.
The Women’s March on Chicago is one of a number of events taking place throughout the city to mark inauguration week. It also will coincide with more than 250 similar demonstrations taking place across the U.S. and internationally on the day following the presidential inauguration—the most prominent of which is the Women’s March on Washington, D.C.
Organizers say the goal of the demonstration is to activate ordinary women to defend and promote fairness, justice and equality, while also communicating to the Trump administration their intent to continue fighting for women’s issues. “Women’s rights are human rights, which together we must protect and further,” organizers said on the event’s website. “Through our march, we send a message to our new administration and to the world that we seek to protect our civil liberties and rights… With this march, we are committed to continue/begin positive, peaceful action in our lives and communities to move toward this goal, and to support others who do as well.”
Saturday’s event will begin at 9:30am with pre-rally musical entertainment, but marchers are invited to start arriving at Jackson and Columbus as early as 8:30am. In order to accommodate a growing number of expected participants, the original location of the rally was changed from Petrillo Bandshell in Grant Park to Columbus Drive.
At 10am, a succession of speakers will address the crowd on a variety of issues affecting women. Scheduled speakers and performers include: Hamilton cast members Ari Afsar, Karen Olivo and Samantha Marie Ware; Marilyn Katz, co-founder of Chicago Women Take Action; Khadine Bennett, of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois; and city of Chicago alderwomen Pat Dowell, Susan Garza and Michele Smith.
The march is expected to begin at 11:30 a.m. Marchers will head west on Jackson Drive and walk approximately a half mile to Federal Plaza. Similar to the location of the rally, the initial route of the march was augmented due to the number of expected participants. Below is a map of the new route.
Courtesy of Women's March on Chicago
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