The second DC Women’s March of 2020 took place two weeks ago on October 17, where thousands of demonstrators gathered from all corners of the country to protest hot button topics such as the Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination and the upcoming election. This event is the fourth to occur since the first Women’s March in 2017 that was prompted by President Trump’s presidential inauguration. Tensions have done nothing but rise each year following, and with Trump’s potential reelection hot on their heels, activists organized as a last ditch effort to encourage citizens to come out to the polls. 

As previously mentioned, the Barrett confirmation was a large motivator for people to show up with signs in hand. When asked why they wish for the confirmation hearings to be postponed until after the election, one person explained that “it’s the people’s choice who you vote for,” and therefore “the next Supreme Court justice should be the people’s choice.” Many felt similarly, as protesters showed up in droves with Ruth Bader Ginsburg-inspired signs, collars, and robes to honor the late justice’s legacy and her dying wish to delay the hearings. 

Several other issues were addressed at the demonstration, such as racial equity and reproductive rights. Another individual stated they were fighting for “no more voter suppression” and “the elimination of the electoral college–something that actually resembles a real democracy.” 

Though the march has its roots in women’s rights and feminism, the biggest message being stressed this year was how crucial it is to vote in the fast-approaching presidential election. “Every vote does count,” one woman said. “Our freedoms are being taken away, so if you have different colored skin, or you’re from a different country or a different sexual orientation, or if you have a reproductive system: our rights are being chipped away and are about to be overturned. [We] need to vote for all equality.” 

To further inspire a large voter turnout, the event featured a “text-banking telethon” where attendees used the “Outvote” app to remind their contacts to vote. A protester shared that, “It’s about having a voice and making sure that you get…what you stand for heard. There’s laws that are made that affect you, and you may not know unless you vote. Throughout history, we’ve been disadvantaging women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, and we need to vote in order to right those wrongs.”

It’s undeniable that regardless of the election’s outcome, serious civil unrest is going to occur. Social media apps like Instagram are turning off recent hashtags to prevent the spread of misinformation, and hundreds of businesses are boarding up their windows to prepare for possible protests and riots. “I think we have to heal so much,” someone said as a prediction for the future, “so I think we’re gonna be in a period of healing. Once we heal, I want to take this momentum and…really create a society for America where everyone can be their own person and have the same rights as the person next to them.”

Another said that the country they hope to see is a sane one. “I don’t want to have to wake up…to look at the news every single day and be angry…and constantly worried about what’s gonna happen next. I think we need to bring back some sanity, kindness, and decency, and to maybe get our standing back with the rest of the world. I want to see more protections for minorities. I want to see people get out and vote, and more laws that are equitable for everyone.”