President Donald Trump is officially inaugurated, the day before millions take part in international Women’s Marches against his presidency.
The main Women’s March was held in Washington D.C., but 673 ‘sister marches’ took place globally.
An estimated 2.5 million people marched worldwide because President Trump is threatening to take away the rights of women in the U.S.
Trump has promised to defund Planned Parenthood and make it harder for women to access health care.
In addition, he’s planning to implement the First Amendment Defense Act to make it legal to discriminate against LGBTI people.
He has also bragged about grabbing a woman ‘by the pussy’, ‘treating them like shit’ and called election rival Hillary Clinton a ‘nasty woman’.
We attended the March in London and spoke to inspiring women who were protesting Trump’s sexist, racist and homophobic attitudes.
We asked one simple question to each: Why are you here today?
1. Lizzy Barrett
‘Everything Trump has said against the LGBTI community, I have felt violated against. This is my right – I deserve marriage and I deserve to be free and be allowed to love whoever I want.’
2. Reeta Loi Shaw
‘I’m here because I am standing with other women for women’s equality all over the world.’
3. Barbara Simpkins
‘[Trump’s] a misogynist, a bigot and a liar. I also think he’s a danger to the world.’
4. Sue Hampton
‘Trump stands for everything that I fear most and object to most, which is a lack of love, a lack of respect for diversity and a dangerous disregard for peace. He is also sexist, homophobic, racist, stupid and very, very dangerous.’
5. Hannah and Sheila Young
‘Let’s remind the people in power that we’ve still got our rights and freedoms. It’s also not right that someone who is promoting so much hate can be in power.’
6. Sally Pearman and Rebecca Lund
Sally: ‘The biggest concern for me is the high numbers of black trans women being murdered in America that no one seems to be talking about. I also don’t think Trump gives, you know, a ‘rude word’ about that.’
7. Meryn Cutler and Aoife Doolan
‘It’s important to stand against Trump’s fascism and we’re quite concerned that him getting in is going to lead to a reverse of what we’ve achieved in LGBT+ in the last thirty or so years.’
8. Sian Fogden
‘Because it’s important to show that we don’t support what Trump stands for.’
9. Sharon Bowen
‘Everyone has to stand up and make their points known.’
10. Maddy Sakakini
‘I’m here because I am upset by the division and hatred in Trump’s campaign and his leadership and I wanted to stand together with everyone and be united against this.’
11. Elisabeth Whitebread
‘[We’re] here to stand in solidarity with all my sisters around the world and anyone who’s feeling threatened by Trump’s Presidency.’
12. Gabi Almquist
‘For her. For her future.’
13. Kate Davies and Victoria Fitzpatrick
‘It feels like an incredibly backwards step and I’m very scared for my rights as a gay woman, and for other minorities rights.’
14. Nia Williamson
‘No matter the creed, colour, the race, the sexuality, we’ve got to actually fight, otherwise we’re going to go downhill.’
15. Makon Bessala
‘Everybody should have the right to love who they want, be as they are whether they were born that way or not, and have the right and access to free education for all women and rights to equal pay for all women.’
