A peaceful protest was organized for topics of climate change, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights ahead of Trump’s inauguration
By Hal Reed
Monday, Jan. 20th is Inauguration Day which marks the official transition of the President of the United States. As with many elections before, people are still upset with the results. In 2017 with the transition to Donald Trump’s presidency, a Women’s March was formed (now called the People’s March). The march happens yearly in the month of January.
Heidi Varner felt there is not enough organization happening in her community in Midland, Mich. So, she organized a People’s March.
After the 2024 presidential election, many people felt distraught and heartbroken with the results. To take action, organizers of the People’s March joined together to continue fighting for environmental and humanitarian issues. Their goal is to bring back hope for the future and express support for one another.
“This resistance and protest is not a new thing. There were generations before us, women and people; I think of the civil rights movement and think of the women’s suffrage movement,” one protester said. “The generations that have come before and who won all the rights I do have today, they were amazing, and I’m so grateful for them. And I will do that for the next generation.”
Roughly 30 mid-Michigan residents gathered on the sidewalks of Eastman Avenue and Airport Road, the busiest intersection in Midland, in support of the People’s March on Jan. 18. Protesters expressed concerns with worsening conditions of global warming, reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights.
Drivers passing by honked and cheered in support of the protesters. But that support was accompanied by voices of disagreement, with some yelling out of their car windows.
That didn’t bring down the protesters’ spirits, and many just laughed, smiles on their faces.
To learn more about the People’s March and find marches in your area, visit their website.
