To combat post-election feelings of unease, Iowa City resident Monica Moen organized two buses of 56 people to go to the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump.

“There seems to be an air of exclusion [regarding] certain people of color, of different sexual orientations, women, and I just didn’t think that was what represented America–that we are a combination of so many different races, religions–and the election, I don’t think, was a representation of who we are,” said Moen.

The New York Times sourced metro usage and crowd scientists to estimate that there were that there were over 470,000 women and men united in Washington, DC, to peacefully protest Donald Trump’s views on women’s rights. Some people voiced their opposition to the new president, while others simply defended their rights. Police were visible throughout the city, although there were few, if any, problems that they needed to stop. As of 6 PM on January 21, no arrests had been made in DC in relation to the women’s march (Huffington Post). People of various races, genders, ages, sexual preferences, and ethnicities showed their support for issues such as clean water, abortions, wage gaps, rape prevention, among others.

About 40 people assembled at the North Dodge Hy-Vee parking lot to send off their friends and family on the afternoon of Friday, January 20. Although not all of the people who gathered attended the march themselves, they aimed to show support for the causes with signs and encouragement.

The rally was scheduled to begin at 10 AM Saturday, and the march was scheduled to begin at 1:15 PM. However, the march did not begin until hours after it was scheduled due to the immense crowd.

At the last minute, Naomi Meurice ‘19 realized that she needed to participate in the march in order to fight for what she believed in.

“Just being there in the atmosphere was very crazy,” Meurice said. “There were so many different types of people there. Not only women, but young men, every type of person–and I think that was crazy that we all came together for one thing.”

Beatrice Kearns ‘19 is a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood and abortion rights. She came to the march on the Iowa City bus, accompanied by her mom, to stand up for what she believes in.

“I think it was a really cool experience. There were a lot of cool people, and although it was really crowded, there were a lot of cool signs and it was pretty fun,” said Kearns.

Kearns believes that it is important for her generation to be a part of these experiences and to stand up for what they believe in.

“It’s important that our generation participates because we’re going to be leading the country at some point. And also I think having these experiences is important and it’s cool being able to tell people I was on the Women’s March on Washington,” said Kearns.

The Women’s March on Washington was the largest post-inauguration protest in the history of the United States according to The New York Times, but Nia Washington ‘18 believes that in order for the march to be fully effective, there must be continued resistance.

“We can’t just stop now. We have to keep doing these things and get our opinions out there,” said Washington.

Moen agrees; she hopes that the March will have a lasting effect, and that this will help motivate the men and women of the United States to continue to fight for their rights.

“I’m hoping that this march is a momentum and we can keep this going. It can be a strong reminder that we are a diverse nation; because of that diversity we are even better and stronger,” said Moen.