On Saturday, around10,000 people gathered in Walnut Creek for the Contra Costa Women’s March where they battled rain, mud and wind to stand strong.
The goal was to demonstrate solidarity to the new administration in the White House and seek justice and equity for all.
Locally, supporters stood together for the protection of their rights, safety and health, and the rights of their families, believing that vibrant and diverse communities are the backbone of our country.
The march remained peaceful as participants walked streets in downtown Walnut Creek with Walnut Creek Police providing traffic control.
The Walnut Creek March was just one of hundreds across the country with many attending either the Oakland or San Francisco Marches later in the day.
Senator Nancy Skinner
I am here to thank you all for gathering and for coming together proclaim clearly loudly and without reservation our commitment to defend and honor our right to control our own bodies. Our right to equal pay for equal work. Our right to clean air, clean water, and to equal justice and to quality education regardless of our income or the color of our skin. I am al also here with you to declare and proclaim loudly on record our right to freedom of expression to choose who we love and define our own gender and personhood. And the right of our families to stay together regardless of their immigration status.
Skinner also highlighted what the event demonstrated.
“It demonstrates that we will combine our grass action with flexing our muscle in state government and local government to fight back on any threats to our healthcare, our civil right’s, our economic justice our immigration rights, and any other threat that the new occupant of the white house tries to throw at us,” said Skinner.
Congressman Eric Swalwell
“I am here for my wife, I am here for my mom, I am here for women across America and for their healthcare. I am here for you and I came to see the hats. I love those hats. But I also came because I know why you are here. In the mud, in the rain and the cold. Its because we are not helpless. We are stronger when we all come together. I am here because I know its not just us across the country, in the heartland, in the south, in the steel belt, we are coming together. I am here because the more we come together we are all going to connect and show the world that together we are stronger,” said Swalwell. “We are unified. It’s so heartening it’s not just in San Francisco or Oakland, but here in Walnut Creek we are standing together. I am standing here for a woman who a couple weeks ago said I did not vote for President Barack Obama, but I have breast cancer, and I am terrified about what is going to happen when by breast cancer is considered a pre-existing condition. So we are all hear for her and being a woman does not mean you are a pre-existing condition. Defending healthcare will be our first stand, but it will not be our last stand.”
Senator Steve Glazer
I am here because you are here. We know this country was not founded because we were passive, or accepted things. But we have values that we are willing to fight for, stand for stand in the rain for. That is why I am here, for the dreamers, fight for Planned Parenthood and I am here to fight for the values that made our country great and I am not going to sit passively by. What strikes me about today, the meaningfulness is that last year was about a he and she fight and that skewed a lot of important conversations about what this country is about. This is a pivoting moment for our country because today is that moment where we change the conversation from a he to she to a who and a what and a where and a why,” said Glazer. “We are going to change it from a personality contest to a values contest and that is why we are standing in the rain today because we have something to fight for and we are going to fight for me.”
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
“I am here and I wouldn’t be anywhere else because if you can see what we see standing up here and look at all of you, we are so lucky to represent you. To represent this blessed part of the country and just a little note—we didn’t vote for him. We didn’t vote for him by a lot and we are not a bubble, we are at the edge. We in California and in the Bay Area, we are at the edge, we are not afraid of the future, we embrace the future. A future that respects everyone, that understands that everyone, 7 billion souls, to be respected and honored and listen to,” said DeSaulnier. “We won’t be divided and we will do what Dr. King stated shortly before he was assassinated.”
Contra Costa Labor Leader Margaret Hanlon Gradie
“The California Labor Movement is standing here to march with, to stand with, to fight with our colleagues and are brothers and sisters in the disability community, in the choice community and the immigrant community because what we in the union community is working people standing together. These women who organized this march in these organizations they know one thing that collective action is democracy and that is the power we are going to build to keep California values, not the Trump values. We have our own agenda here in California,” said Hanlon-Gradie. “We are not going to stand for attacks on immigrants’ rights, attacks on workers’ rights. Those are California values, our Contra Costa values.”
Here is the official Press Release on the event–we have included photographs below from Saturday.
Strong Showing of Unity in Contra Costa County
Women’s March: The community rallies and marches in solidarity to effect a change
(Walnut Creek, Calif. – Jan. 16, 2017) – The day after Trump comes into office, communities around the world seek to send a strong message of solidarity to the new administration. The Women’s March on Washington will be held Jan. 21, 2017 with over 300 sister marches being held worldwide, including a march in Walnut Creek. Organizers have been thrilled by the amount of support for and interest in the event, held in a community not typically known for activism. To date, nearly 1,200 people locally plan to stand together for the protection of their rights, safety and health, and the rights of their families, believing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the backbone of our country.
Several of the women organizing the Women’s March Contra Costa County/Walnut Creek are not your typical organizers and activists. Most are local mothers and students who have never attended political events, but are concerned with threats to our civil liberties under the new administration. A team of over 60 volunteers has worked tirelessly to ensure this will be a safe and unifying family-friendly event.
While each person has their own reasons for marching, the mission is to bring people together to take a stand on issues that deeply impact all of us. Sienna Terry, a youth organizer at Las Lomas High School said, “We are concerned with human rights, the environment, justice and democracy. We are inviting the local community to show unity, with the sister marchers around the world, at a time in which women’s rights and access to healthcare are at risk.” The gathering will begin in Civic Park at 10 a.m, with the program starting at 11:00 a.m. The march will start at approximately 12:15 p.m. from Civic Park and circle downtown Walnut Creek. Following the walk, marchers are encouraged to take BART to the San Francisco rally at 3:00 p.m. The Women’s March Contra Costa County/Walnut Creek event is nonpartisan and all are welcome to attend.
Marchers can expect to feel empowered by an inspiring line-up of speakers, as well as an array of local area musicians. Speakers include Labor Leader Margaret Hanlon Gradie, Reproductive Rights Leader Julie Rabinovitz, LBGTQ poet and author Cheryl Dumesnil. Muslim Leader Ejaz Naqvi, Rev. Will McGarvey and Rev. Leslie Takahashi from the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, Race Educator Lori Watson, as well as local area students and residents will also be speaking. There will also be performances from the chorus groups from The Peter Pan Foundation and the Meher School, as well as the Las Lomas Jazz Combo and local legend Ron Lorenz from Juice. US House Reps.e Eric Swalwell and Mark DeSaulnier and State Sen. Nancy Skinner plan to participate in the event.
Leslie Shafton, one of the organizers, has been amazed with the positive response. “Many people have come forward wanting to ensure that we protect the rights, safety, health and religious freedoms of all families, especially those whose voices are constantly under attack,” as she referred to Muslims, people of color, undocumented, LGBTQ community and low income families.
Organizer Rachel McCutchen said, “I am not normally a ‘marcher,’ but these are not normal times. Complacency is no longer an option for me and it is time for me to stand up and make my voice heard against injustice anywhere and everywhere. We must stand up to protect every woman’s right to choose and get affordable health care and birth control. We must stand up for the First Amendment and free press. We must stand up for equality and equal opportunities for all and we must stand up to protect our environment.”
Teri Frangie was driven to join as an organizer to secure equal opportunity for her daughters. Frangie said, “I march so I can sleep comfortably at night knowing that basic human rights are not being violated and that health care is being provided to my neighbors who need it most but who often need to go without. I march with my diverse friends and my immigrant family who are scared about being different but contribute a great deal to our society even though they are often marginalized.”
The Women’s March Contra Costa County/Walnut Creek is one step towards unifying our community, building new relationships, and creating grassroots change. We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all.
To learn more about the Women’s March Contra Costa County or RSVP visit https://womensmarchwccc.wixsite.com/march.
30 comments
Yawn Trump Won, get over it!
Code pink! Liberal commies at their finest. MAGA
They can march if they want. It’s not these ladies fault that trash voted for Trump.
You don’t get it Nick. Shame.
No, Nick does get it. Mrs. Vladimir Putin lost the popular vote by 3mm and has placed people who want to roll back the clock over 50 years in charge of departments. It’s up to the American people to make lots of noise.
Illegal immigrants, dead people, and multiple votes for a single person like in Detroit helped her win the popular vote dumb ass, try again .PS Liberals aren’t Americans, they are anti American. Anon you are a tool. Bet you love Islamic terrorist, cuban dictators, sharia law islam, illegals, and help them burn the American flag, everything Anti-American but but but Russia? LOL
These women are ALL hypocrites. Where were all of these women when everyday hip hop artist and rappers are calling women bitches & Ho’s and advocating domestic violence in their music lyrics?
These women are more concerned about what Trump said in a private conversation ten years ago more so dancing to and singing along to music that demeans and sexualizes their very existence and they walk through Washington DC marginalizing their female body parts with their children in tow witnessing their demoralizing behavior.
How pathetic are the very people participating in this March who laugh, sing along, and dance to the very music that speaks to them as individuals to be used and abused. Just sad!
Trump has been in office for less than 2 days and already you libtards are already whining like little girls. How do you expect the country to unite when we voted, picked a President and you are already trying to divide it. You are the problem it’s just to bad you are so blind.
Personally I am aahamed for the protesters and embarrassed for our Country. Thanks for making us look stupid and petty.
Hello Mister (?] Jackalope, (Not Mrs Jackalope for which I would be ashamed and afraid?)
Pleased do not be ashamed for our Country!! And do not be ashamed for your declaration of being “stupid and petty.” You should be PROUD OF THAT!
Why should you be really proud???
Those things are perhaps ‘alternative facts’ which we are told that we cannot deny. I do not know that.
But perhaps the ‘libtard […] whining’ you have heard is because of a television audio that was mis-heard. It could happen!!
If so, I am happy to be as looking ‘stupid and petty’ as you.
If as Gary Glibert writes, ten years ago Mister Trump danced and sexualized women, so what was ‘marginalized????’ We are all the men in a circle and with our leader Mister Trump I am not embarrassed for our Country or for what we do with women. You should not be that too!!! Our women are ‘okay’ and we are too ‘okay’. Be happy!! We are all okay!!!
Mrs. Jackalope and MILLIONS of others approves of this message: Democrats doing what they do best. Sniveling, whining, crying and complaining that they are oppressed and their rights are at risk. Their HYPOCRISY has NO LIMIT and is laughable to anyone positioned in the middle. That is what you should be afraid of Victor.
Example one would be the hypocrisy embedded in message. While these libtards try to hide their denial behind a false message of uniting citizens, the actions and messaging they chose has exactly the opposite effect. Either they are extremely stupid or they think the rest of us are. It’s always the same patter with them. Over two hundred years of playing the same “whoa is me” tactic and yet they are not one step closer to being credible with a message. They are not even honest with themselves.
I hope the libtards enjoyed airing their grievances to one another because it did nothing to heal the country or possibly further their agenda. In fact it had quite the polarizing effect. Bravo!
What hasn’t dawned on you libtards is that for every woman that participated in your divisive demonstration, 1000’s of others did not agree with it. Figure that out and you may just get closer to being in touch with the silent majority.
Trump won, crooked & lying Hillary lost, game over!
Instead of whining about something Trump said over ten years ago, why haven’t these women been marching for equality for the past 25 years when Snoop Dogg and other rappers and artists have been calling women bitches & Ho’s! Where’s the outrage about that? Bunch of hypocrites!!!
Hate hate hate haters will hate.i won the hater of the year award . I really hate donald trump and luv these women.go girls.keep ya head up and stay strong.no what im say n trump looks like my dogs bu..h..e
Why are my posting being ignored?
Hello Mister Gary!
It seems that your postings are being ignored because our women are being correct. That is what I am being told by them. Good day!!
I just love the irony of the cries about “Lyin’ Hillary”. Hillary couldn’t hold a candle to Trump in the lie category. He can’t even keep his lies straight during the first 2 days. “Alternative Facts” is the latest from Kellyanne Conway. There’s no such thing as an alternative fact; it’s either factual, or it’s a lie.
The greatest protest sign ever was being held by a young girl in photos I saw from San Francisco. “Make America Think Again!” Of course, that would leave pretty much anybody who voted for Mrs. Putin in the cold.
Pretty much everything the new administration is doing regarding the press is straight out of the National Socialist playbook from the late ’30’s. For those of you who voted for Mrs. Putin, look up Nazi Germany.
Don’t recall Trump being Secretary of State and refusing to send help to our people in Benghazi which resulted in their deaths. Don’t recall Trump selling nuclear material to Russia that makes them a threat to our national security. Don’t recall Trump having a secret server in his home and allowing his maid access to it and asking her to read top secret documents from the CIA, NSA, and the FBI. Don’t recall Trump destroying 33,000 emails that was supposed to be safeguarded by federal subpoena. Don’t recall Trump saying it’s okay for women to abort their child at nine months if they change their minds about becoming a mother. Don’t recall Trump lying during a congressional hearing about her reckless handling of classified material. And I don’t recall Trump taking money from foreign governments that believe women have no rights and are treated no better than a farm animal.
Oh that’s right, ALL of these things and far, far more were done by that paragon of honesty and integrity, Hillary Clinton, the GREAT defender of women’s rights! These are just a few reasons why Hillary lost.
If you want to blame someone for Donald Trump becoming President, blame Barack Obama, the most racist, divisive, and traitor of the United States.
Are you mentally stupid? Mrs.Putin? Better then Mrs.Saudi Arabia aka Hillary Clinton. If anything she was bought by Sharia Law islamic countries that oppress, kill and beat women. You are plain sheep and brainwashed. If you are comparing Trump to Nazi Germany, Trump has been only one defending Israel and Jews lately while Democrats continue to attack them and side with Islamic terrorist. Stop watching fake news CNN so much and like you said Make America Think Again, not Make Fake News Brainwash me again like what you’re doing to yourself dummy. Trump has zero ties to Russia, and proven over and over again. Also you have nerve to call Trump Administration socialist? Everything you dumb liberals advocate for is Socialism. The press in America have become nothing but left wing activist in Journalist clothing. Guess what, it will stop, and frankly I am so happy about that. But keep marching for rights you already have, while denying pro choice women or Trump supporters the right to march. Why didn’t you just call it whiny bigoted womens march. At least know what you’re marching for dimwit! And 3 million more votes for Hillary came from Illegal Aliens in which over 800,000 were given Drivers Licenses to be able to vote! Democrat frauds who cheated Bernie Sanders tried to rig the election but forgot about electoral college. HAHAHAHAHA
And don’t forget, CNN stands for Clinton News Network. It’s criminal.
The ones who hate on protests either think they’re descendants of Rockefeller himself or descendants of people who thought of MLK as a communist. Protest is what makes us the USA. And for those who support trump, he only cares about a small group and you’re not in it. Same people who hated Obama even though he was the real “pull by your bootstraps” middle class president. How ironic.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with protesting since it’s apart of our country’s history. However, when you walk around with signs that graphically describes private female body parts in the presence of children then your message loses its power and leans more towards perversion than the thought you are trying to express.
Gary Gilbert don’t expect much from the far left liberal agenda. They are nothing but hypocrites who demand you hear their message whilst conveniently ignoring yours. Be content that they are trapped in a paradoxical situation of their own creation. Even their supreme leader Hillary Clinton didn’t figure it out. It’s no wonder she was Trumped. Now they are all doing what they always do. Remember this They are complainers by nature. Protesting is not only their right it has become a way of life for them. It shouldn’t be much as a surprise why they are depressed. They often create their own issue to make themselves angry.
Denial is their war cry and hypocrisy is their mantra. Never once will they acknowledge that O’bummer set them back decades and pushed racial relations back even further. Admission would be a first step but don’t expect it anytime soon.
So true ?
@Jackalope you’re wrong Hilary is for war, for drug war, for big bank bailouts, for private prisons, against gay rights, and she doesn’t meet with foreign politicians who don’t contribute to the Clinton foundation. She’s not a liberal, she’s a plutocrat just like trump. I don’t like complaining either but it’s not the same as protesting. The more left or right you go, you end up in the same paranoia.
It’s funny you blame Obama like a true baby boomer- the generation that doesn’t want to retire (true welfare people draining SS), helped skyrocket housing inflation, and got to provide for a family off a HS diploma, factory job, and a stay at home mom. Give me a break delusional old fogies thinking trump will save you and your dead industries will return.
Jackalope you sound like the kind of guy who scoffs at the poor person who uses EBT, but will tell “hoorah” when we waste billions for new missiles and jets every year. Crime, illness, violence, blight are all a result of POVERTY. We live in the richest nation, yet have similar wealth inequality as India. Marinate on that. Again, trump cares about a small group, and you ain’t in it!
And you think Hillary would have given a rat’s @ss about you, me or the women marching?
Spending money on missiles and jets are what keep us safe. Funny you call it waste.
Crime, illness, violence and blight are all a result of life anywhere on the planet. No free passes, life is a real bitch sometimes.
Want wealth? Work for it. Want fairness? Earn it. But please for the love of God, quit whining.
Twist on that.
Are u seriously implying I’m a Clinton supporter? Reread my comment, both candidates are a joke and the presidency is an antiquitous joke. And really you think new missiles every year keep us safe? Every vet will tell you it’s to continue globalization and foreign affairs that are for special interests. Funny you bring up earned wealth yet are a trump supporter. Oh and fairness is what rights are meant for. I’m a tough dude too but at least I have a heart for people and life. You’re a typical cold adult who let the rat race kill your soul.
I’m a REPUBLICAN, and a lot of Republicans don’t like Trump, including George Bush Sr. and Jr. Bush Sr. voted for Clinton and Bush Jr. didn’t vote. Trump is pathetic.
Nick, I’m also a Republican and while I am not a big Trump supporter, Hillary gave us all good reason to vote for Trump. Marches and “protests” like this one reminded me, my wife and my family that we made the right choice, the only choice. Despite anything you have read in the liberal media neither Bush voted for Clinton. If you take what you read in newspapers as fact than you are gullible. Enough Americans believed in Trump and despised Clinton to change what so many believed to be a sure thing. I’m betting you were one of those. We see how that turned out turning the media on its collective head.
Our country has been going down a very poor path. A weakened and entitled society increasingly enabled by weaker politicians. If you need examples you only need to look at the very politicians that joined this protest. Take a good look because the tide is turning and their seats are no longer safe. Their actions will most likely cost our state needed federal funding. When this happens we all will be reaching deeper into our wallets, not forgotten at the ballot box by republicans or democrats. You can thank them for putting California into a free fall and making us laughed at by the rest of the country. Face it Nick, California has fallen from grace and guess who is to blame?
Amen brother!
I not gullible, nor am I stupid. If Bush Sr. says he voted for Hillary Clinton and Bush Jr. says he didn’t vote, I believe them. When’s the last time you lied about who you voted for? Like anyone else – NEVER.
The reason Trump won isn’t because of voters who wanted Trump. It’s because too many people – especially men who refused to vote for Clinton. And sexist men who refused to vote for ANY WOMAN.
By the way, how the hell would you know who either Bush voted for? You don’t know them. You’re making it up.
If the media had who the Bush family voted for wrong, you’d hear about it. The Bush family is rich and powerful, and they’d challenge the media.
If the liberal media were to try and lie about who the Bush’s voted for, they’d just say the whole family voted for Clinton.
Once again Bush Sr. – Clinton. Bush Jr – didn’t vote. Not everyone follows their party 100%. And not everyone votes in every election, including former presidents.
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