People’s March Seattle protest resumes ahead of Trump inauguration - Anlık Haber

Thousands gathered at Cal Anderson Park Saturday and marched to Seattle Center for the <a href=”https://action.womensmarch.com/events/women-s-march-seattle-2025″>People’s March Seattle</a>.

Demonstrators were there to advocate for women’s reproductive rights, racial justice, human rights, environmental justice, democracy and for more opportunities for education and employment.

The event was an annual protest during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, and made a return as <a href=”https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/your-schedule-of-events-for-trumps-2nd-inauguration”>inaugural weekend events are beginning</a> in Washington, D.C., ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

Chants of “This is what democracy looks like” rang out along the way, but protestors were largely silent as they marched down Pine Street, passing the Paramount Theatre toward Seattle Center.

Anger, frustration and exhaustion were some of the emotions swirling as marchers held colorful signs with phrases like “Reproductive rights are human rights” and “We won’t go back, equal rights are human rights.”

Tutla Holmes, 73, from Renton, formed the group Renton Rally and said they attended the event as a “marching graveyard.” The group held signs cut in the shape of gravestones that say “RIP Medicare” or “RIP Women’s Rights.”

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery1-1.jpg?itok=d4DWo0ig” aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"two women stand with protest signs"}” role=”button” title=”<div>Bella Lusk, 25 (left), and Cierra Petrosino, 19, of Bremerton, take part in the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. The two said it was the first political rally and march they had attended. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)</div>” data-colorbox-gallery=”gallery-field_gallery_image-uq67KADhUyE” class=”colorbox” aria-controls=”colorbox-hX04D34pPvM” data-cbox-img-attrs=”{"alt":"two women stand with protest signs"}”>

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Bella Lusk, 25 (left), and Cierra Petrosino, 19, of Bremerton, take part in the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. The two said it was the first political rally and march they had attended. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery1-2.jpg?itok=ZAxaXIZ5″ aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"a woman with a pink hat holding a sign"}” role=”button” title=”<div>Leslie Kreher, 72, of Issaquah, attends the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. Kreher says she has been attending rallies like this since the 1970s. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)</div>” data-colorbox-gallery=”gallery-field_gallery_image-uq67KADhUyE” class=”colorbox” aria-controls=”colorbox-cwdut9RaxfQ” data-cbox-img-attrs=”{"alt":"a woman with a pink hat holding a sign"}”>

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Leslie Kreher, 72, of Issaquah, attends the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. Kreher says she has been attending rallies like this since the 1970s. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery1-3.jpg?itok=hNwmsksx” aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"three college students stand watching a speaker"}” role=”button” title=”<div>College students (from left) Charlotte Jensen, 21, Bailey Cunningham, 20, and Ikenna Eckrich, 20, take part in the People’s March in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)
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College students (from left) Charlotte Jensen, 21, Bailey Cunningham, 20, and Ikenna Eckrich, 20, take part in the People’s March in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery1-4.jpg?itok=EYfTa5RK” aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"a woman holds a sign reading "RIP the constitution""}” role=”button” title=”<div>Sabrina Hart, 61, of Federal Way, holds a sign reading “RIP The Constitution” as she joins the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. Hart attended the 2017 Women’s March in Seattle and says, “I’m sad that we have to do this again, but we will continue to do it and keep on fighting the good fight. I will come back as many times as it takes.” (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)</div>” data-colorbox-gallery=”gallery-field_gallery_image-uq67KADhUyE” class=”colorbox” aria-controls=”colorbox-no_x1i4ulAc” data-cbox-img-attrs=”{"alt":"a woman holds a sign reading "RIP the constitution""}”>

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Sabrina Hart, 61, of Federal Way, holds a sign reading “RIP The Constitution” as she joins the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. Hart attended the 2017 Women’s March in Seattle and says, “I’m sad that we have to do this again, but we will continue to do it and keep on fighting the good fight. I will come back as many times as it takes.” (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

Marches were held in other cities across the nation: Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington, D.C., New York, Austin and Chicago. There were also marches in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada and Poland as the world prepares for the transfer of power in the U.S. federal government.

Many marchers wore pink hats as they marched down closed-off streets on a cold, brisk but sunny morning in Seattle. Leslie Kreher, 72, from Issaquah, knit her own pink hat and said she’s been attending marches for women’s rights and the Democratic Party since 1972. She also marched in 2017, and promoted this march in a group chat to organize her friends to attend together.

“We decided the other day we’d come, made our signs and got excited about coming,” Kreher said.

Nancy Stokley, 78, from Seattle, said she’s concerned about the environment. She held a sign that she painted of orcas, salmon and other endangered species. Stokley said she’s concerned about rolling back environmental protections.

People gather for the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

While a police officer on hand estimated that around 3,500 people attended, this crowd was notably smaller than at past Seattle marches.

After President-elect Donald J. Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/2018/01/anger-frustration-over-trump-fuels-seattle-womens-march-2-0″>at least 120,000 were drawn to the first Seattle Women’s March.</a> In 2018, organizers expected 25,000 protestors, but <a href=”https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2025/01/trump-is-back-so-are-the-marches-peoples-march-seattle-planned-to-step-off-from-capitol-hills-cal-anderson-park-on-january-18th/?fbclid=IwY2xjawH3mrFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfhmP2KtJkSBDkEZ0XfECKBbSMQYpEJKGMK-N4Tm0DUOAZtsdhkuAGjRKQ_aem_uYy2ps3uYFaLNFl6STEC_w”>more than 100,000 attended</a>.

“It’s discouraging to have to start over again with these same issues. I was involved with legalizing abortion in the state, way back when, and now to have to be back in the same square one and defend abortion rights and women’s rights to have safe pregnancies, it’s so discouraging,” Stokley said

Bella Lusk, 25, and Cierra Petrosino, 19, took the ferry from Bremerton at 7:00 a.m. to make it to the rally and march. They were holding American flags and marched to exercise their free speech at their first protest.

“We’re fighting for our America and I feel like the flag represents the people and not the government,” Lusk said.

Lusk said they heard about the event through TikTok and said they were concerned about the impending ban of the platform on Jan. 19.

“I feel like they’re trying to dampen our free speech, because if it was that big of a national security threat, they could have put a stop to it already,” Lusk said.

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery2-1.jpg?itok=f5UEiJUf” aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"women with drums take part in a protest"}” role=”button” title=”<div>Indigenous groups joined the People’s March on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

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Indigenous groups joined the People’s March on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery2-2.jpg?itok=eYv_t8rM” aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"a collection of election buttons supporting democratic candidates and causes"}” role=”button” title=”<div>A vendor sells buttons for the 2025 Women’s March and Michelle Obama 2028 as people gather for a rally before the People’s March in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)</div>” data-colorbox-gallery=”gallery-field_gallery_image-uq67KADhUyE” class=”colorbox” aria-controls=”colorbox–R7Z4Vl0P3I” data-cbox-img-attrs=”{"alt":"a collection of election buttons supporting democratic candidates and causes"}”>

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A vendor sells buttons for the 2025 Women’s March and Michelle Obama 2028 as people gather for a rally before the People’s March in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery2-3.jpg?itok=d9DBFYZ3″ aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"Bob Ferguson speaks to a crowd at a protest"}” role=”button” title=”<div>Governor Bob Ferguson, inaugurated earlier this week, speaks to the crowd gathered for the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)</div>” data-colorbox-gallery=”gallery-field_gallery_image-uq67KADhUyE” class=”colorbox” aria-controls=”colorbox-rwpq8laQYJI” data-cbox-img-attrs=”{"alt":"Bob Ferguson speaks to a crowd at a protest"}”>

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Governor Bob Ferguson, inaugurated earlier this week, speaks to the crowd gathered for the People’s March rally in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

<a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/sites/default/files/styles/max_2600x2600/public/uploads/2025/01/peoplemarch-msb-gallery2-4.jpg?itok=2V2_vhf8″ aria-controls=”colorbox” aria-label=”"a view of marchers from overhead"}” role=”button” title=”<div>The People’s March travels along Fourth Avenue toward Seattle Center on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)</div>” data-colorbox-gallery=”gallery-field_gallery_image-uq67KADhUyE” class=”colorbox” aria-controls=”colorbox-TCvqoMAC00E” data-cbox-img-attrs=”{"alt":"a view of marchers from overhead"}”>

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The People’s March travels along Fourth Avenue toward Seattle Center on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

She said she’s been able to build a community and discover more information through the app.  She said she’s also deleted all Meta apps because she doesn’t want to support people who are lobbying against freedom of speech.

Petrosino, a nursing student at Olympic College, said 2024 was the second time she’s voted in a Presidential election. She’s concerned about how many people she’s talked to recently who said they didn’t want to vote, or did not vote because they didn’t think they knew enough about any issues.

She wants to try putting together a group with info sessions for women to learn about local officials during elections.

Advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood, the Urban Native Education Alliance, the Refugee Women’s Alliance, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and other groups partnered with Women’s March Seattle for the protest.

University students Charlotte Jensen, 21, Bailey Cunningham, 20, and Ikenna Ekrich, 20, said they’re marching to stand in solidarity with oppressed groups against capitalism and against the incoming president.

“A lot of the climate policies that were enacted the last time he was elected were extremely detrimental to a lot of the work that people have been doing to try to mitigate those effects, so I’m a little worried about what will happen in the next four years,” Ekrich said. “I’m just hoping that there aren’t any big repeals.”

A woman dressed in a cloak similar to those in The Handmaid’s Tale screams with a sign reading “Trump Not My Fuhrer” as people walk in the People’s March along Pine Street Downtown on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

Cunningham agreed and said she thinks it’s important for the government to address climate change from a systemic perspective and not to blame individuals for their choices.

“We have to understand that it’s the businesses and our government that need to be taking steps to address this from a systemic level,” Cunningham said.

A small chunk of protestors were people of color, but the crowd was predominantly white. Ekrich, who is Black, said he understands why fewer people of color were marching today.

“It’s scary to be put in a situation where there’s a lot of police around here. You never really know what could happen in these situations, so I think it’s often just safer to stay inside,” Ekrich said.

Jensen said she went to the first Women’s March in 2017 with her mom when she was 13 and in seventh grade.

“It was this giant sea of pink hats and it felt huge and so safe, I’ve never seen that many kinds of different people with, like, one cause before, and that was so cool as a little kid to see,” Jensen said. Now she’s in college, and said she feels really sad to be back in the same place as an adult.

“It’s exhausting and demoralizing to be put right back at the start of it again, possibly worse this time, with more aggressive policies maybe being implemented,” Ekrich said.

The three said they’ve lost count of how many protests they’ve been to, and noticed that the crowd was smaller than at others they’ve attended. Cunningham said she understands people are on the edge, exhausted and struggling to pay their bills, so it’s difficult for them to get involved in activism.

“It’s just sad that it feels like we haven’t made as much progress as we would have wanted to with such a large chunk of our lives and we’re back here in another Trump presidency,” Cunningham said.

Participants in the People’s March pass the Space Needle after walking nearly two miles from Capitol Hill on Saturday. (M. Scott Brauer/Cascade PBS)

Topics: <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/donald-trump” hreflang=”en”>Donald Trump</a>, <a href=”https://www.cascadepbs.org/seattle-6″ hreflang=”en”>Seattle</a>

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