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Women’s march returns to Salmon Arm

Last January they gathered by the thousands in cities all over the world as a reaction to the actions and views of the newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump.
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File Photo Event organizer Sylvia Lindgren looks on as Jan Seelinger addresses the crowd at the Ross Street Plaza as part of a march in solidarity with the Washington D.C. women’s march on Jan. 21, 2017.

Last January they gathered by the thousands in cities all over the world as a reaction to the actions and views of the newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump.

Ripples of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington D.C. spread to Salmon Arm where more than 30 people marched in solidarity on Jan. 21.

Although organizers of the Salmon Arm march feel progress has been made in the intervening year, another march is planned for Jan. 20.

“This year we heard there were marches going on the anniversary date, and so we set about a little earlier this year trying to get organized and it looks like we’re expecting upwards of 80 or 90 people,” said Sylvia Lindgren, one of the local march organizers.

Lindgren said it was a shared sense of outrage with the racism, bigotry and anti-women’s rights agenda expressed by Trump and other members of his administration that led to the marches.

“I think they started last year as a reaction to Trump getting elected and the kinds of attitudes that were becoming more widespread,” she said. “People were surprised, and I think they were reacting to that.”

Lindgren has seen some progress made over the past year for women’s rights.

“The Me Too movement was a big eye-opener I think, for most people.”

Although the march focuses on women’s issues, organizers stress that men are welcome.

“I think our greatest allies in this are men who believe in us and who will stand by us and support us,” Lindgren said.

The march begins at city hall at 11 a.m. where there will be a speaker. It will travel along the side of the Highway 1 before concluding at the Ross Street Plaza where there will be a second speaker and an opportunity for people to have their voices heard.

“We just want to come together in a show of solidarity,” Lindgren said.



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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