Louisiana Women Prepare To March On Washington
Hundreds of thousands of women are expected to gather in the nation’s capital one day after President Trump’s inauguration for the Women’s March on Washington.
Alyssa Leader of West Monroe is one of those who will be in attendance. She says they hope to deliver a clear message to the new administration.
“We don’t stand for sexism, and not only that we don’t stand for racism. We don’t stand for people making fun of individuals with disabilities or immigrants,” Leader said.
Leader says all of the men and women participating in the march are doing so for different reasons. She says some people are concerned about their immigration status, while others worry about losing their healthcare. She says as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, for her, this is personal.
“To see somebody elected to the White House that does have a history of having these accusations, has a history of speaking poorly about women, it’s very concerning for me that that excuses violence against women,” Leader said.
The march begins at 10 a.m. near the Capitol and ends at 5 p.m. Leader says she’s looking forward to this opportunity to stand in solidarity with women and men from around the country. She says there are other options for those unable to attend the march in Washington.
“Not only is this march happening in D.C., but there are tons of marches happening all over the United States and around the world, and I think it’s a really great opportunity for us to come together,” Leader said.
More than 1,000 people are scheduled to attend a sister march at City Hall in Baton Rouge.