Thousands plan to march in North Carolina for women's rights Saturday.
Events in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh will begin at 10 a.m. and coincide with theWomen's March on Washington. That event, expected to draw crowds in the hundreds of thousands, was planned shortly after Donald Trump's presidential victory and takes place during his first official day in office. It has inspired similar marches in hundreds of cities around the country and world.
Some organizers at the national and local levels have been careful not to label the rallies “anti-Trump” or "protests." Instead, they say the main event and sister marches are meant to unify women from all backgrounds and show the new federal administration that they "are watching."
In addition, Raleigh organizers want to show that issues affecting all marginalized groups, from immigrants to African-Americans to the LGBT community, are women's issues.
The Women’s March on Washington will feature a series of speeches by advocates and activists like Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem, and musical performances by Janelle Monae, Maxwell, and the Indigo Girls.
The marches in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh will feature the words of women’s rights activists working in North Carolina, and demonstrations for paid family leave, child care for all workers, and funding for public education. Thousands of Facebook users have signed up to participate in each of the three events.
Although the events are called women's marches, organizers encourage men and children to attend.