Being among a massive crowd of protesters in downtown Chicago, nearly five times larger than the 50,000 initially expected, was one of the most amazing experiences of her life, Molly McKeown said Saturday.
The 27-year-old Tinley Park resident, carrying a sign reading, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fundamental Human Rights,” felt compelled to attend the Women’s March on Chicago to protest comments made by President Donald Trump during the election, she said.
“I don’t want to see some of the things he’s said about women to become socially acceptable,” McKeown said.
McKeown was not alone in those thoughts. Similar rallies and marches were held all over Illinois and the United States, the largest being in Washington, D.C.
In Rockford, more than 1,000 men, women and children marched downtown, the Rockford Register Star reported. Many carried signs and chanted “Love trumps hate.”
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin helped rally a crowd outside the Old State Capitol in Springfield, urging them to get involved.
The Southern Illinois Women’s March drew nearly 1,000 people, some sporting hot-pink hats, for a roughly 1-mile walk that started at the Carbondale Civic Center.
Patrick Weisgerber, who grew up in Oak Lawn, said he went to Chicago to attend the march — ultimately canceled by organizers because the rally grew too large — to show his support for the cause and the women participating.
The 25-year-old said he sees Trump as divisive and fears he is already marginalizing segments of America.
“His drive for power has led to his rise. And that drive has shunned” a lot of groups as a result, Weisgerber said.
Although he now lives and works in Holland, Mich., he came back to attend with a group of Oak Lawn friends, he said. One of them was 25-year-old Kendra DeLouf, who wore buttons in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and referencing Trump’s “nasty woman” comment made toward Hillary Clinton during a debate.
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“We wanted to be a part of a bigger march than our local area,” she said.
DeLouf, a self-described feminist, said she was troubled to see the Trump administration has already removed portions of the White House website pertaining to the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community; civil rights; and climate change.
Dorothy DeCarlo, 69, of Chicago, said she burned her bra during college 50 years ago to fight for women’s rights. As she stood among a sea of people gathered for the Chicago rally, she carried a sign that said, “I can’t believe I still have to protest this (expletive).”
“I thought we took the bruises. I thought it was over,” DeCarlo said. “I never thought we would be in 2017 and even have to consider this.”
Grant Park, more than 300 acres, was filled to capacity, with many people spilling onto surrounding blocks and unaware the march had been canceled. They moved slowly through the streets, voicing support for women’s and immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, education and other causes.
Donna Martin, a pastry chef and consultant from Chicago, said she came out because “I wanted to show there are more of us than there are of them.” She carried a sign that said, “There’s no sign big enough to list all the reasons I’m here.”
Martin, 42, said the large number of people at the event sent a clear message.
“It means we are powerful,” Martin said. “Everything’s going to be OK.”
The Associated Press contributed.