Women, Their Supporters Rally Troops For Upcoming March To The Polls This Weekend
CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Activists are preparing for a second Women's March through downtown Chicago this weekend.
"Here we are again, one year later."
Jaquie Algee rallies the troops on the second floor of Chicago Hall.
"We helped to produce one of the largest marches around the globe last year. Over a quarter of a million people, that's nothing to sneeze at and guess what, we've got the opportunity to do it again this year," said Algee, Organizer, Women's March Chicago, NFP.
Last year, an estimated 250,000 activists filled downtown, political discourse that shut down parts of the Loop one day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Organizers say this time, the so called "March To The Polls" is not so much about resistance, but about women's issues, voting, running for office, sexual harassment, and the abuse of power.
"By voting or running, we can achieve forward progress on the issues that affect us all like education, health care, freedom from violence, criminal justice reform and economic security," said Dorri McWhorter, CEO, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.
"We know how critical it is that working women make their voices heard in the election. We are urging all the women to come out, register, be ready to vote. Not just in the gubernatorial here in Illinois, but in all of their local elections," said Amy Meek, Staff Counsel, Women's and Reproductive Rights Project.
"Be informed, come out and represent. We need elected officials who will advocate for the issues that we care about as working women and women and their families. Issues like equal pay, access to paid leave, the affordable and accessibility to health care, training, child care and more."
The event beings at 9 a.m. at Congress and Columbus, followed by a rally in Grant Park at 11 a.m. and a march to Federal Plaza at 12:30 p.m. The event is one of hundreds of events planned worldwide this Saturday.
"We have over 350 marches that we've helped to organize around this globe so that women can stand and take a stance and speak out and speak loud and say no, not me to, time's out," Algee said.
For more information and a map of the events and march log onto womensmarchchicago.org
