Thousands of demonstrators reportedly flooded the streets of Washington DC on Saturday to protest against President-elect Donald Trump, just days before his inauguration.
The People’s March, formerly known as the Women’s March, has been held annually since 2017.
A movement was organized by a coalition of groups with the aim of confronting “Trumpism,” according to their website. Smaller protests against Trump took place in New York City and Seattle on the other side of the country.
As Trump makes his way to the nation’s capital for a weekend packed with events leading up to his inauguration on Monday, these rallies are timed to coincide with his arrival.
In Arizona, crowds of protesters gathered at the state Capitol in anticipation of potential bans on reproductive rights and women’s healthcare, as President-elect Donald’s inauguration took place.
Planned Parenthood, along with its partner groups, organized a protest on Saturday with the aim of inspiring hope and raising awareness about women’s healthcare in Arizona.
At the event, several speakers took the stage to discuss important topics. One of the speakers was a nurse who courageously shared her personal story about abortion. Another speaker was Erika Mach, the Chief External Affairs Officer of Planned Parenthood. Lastly, Marlee Valenzuela, the president of Planned Parenthood Generation Action and chair of the Arizona College Democrats’ Women’s Caucus, also delivered a powerful speech.
Mach emphasized the importance of unity among the majority in order to confront the extremists who are posing a threat to our bodily autonomy. She called on everyone to raise their voices and take a stand to safeguard access to abortion, trans health care, and contraceptives. The goal is to ensure that each and every one of us can receive dignified healthcare without facing any form of stigma.
According to a recent opinion poll conducted by Northeast Valley News, a staggering 71% of Arizonans expressed their ongoing disgust towards the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and President Trump’s promise of pardons.
Jay Boyle, a Navy veteran and retired businessman who has been living in the Valley for the past 23 years after relocating from Michigan, expressed his deep concern over the violent activities witnessed at the Capitol. In his words, “The videos of those thugs rushing on our Capitol clearly displayed nothing but a lust for violence.” Boyle strongly condemned the actions of both the criminals involved and the role played by Donald Trump, describing them as nothing short of disgusting.
“If Donald Trump pardons any of those criminals, he would be granting permission to violate every existing law, not to mention disrespecting the brave individuals who pledged to safeguard our Capitol and the elected officials who were present and terrified for their safety!”
It’s uncertain what President-elect Trump’s actions will be in relation to the Jan. 6 rioters.
Over 1,580 individuals faced criminal charges, with many of them being prosecuted and sentenced. While Trump has previously stated his intention to pardon those charged and convicted of crimes related to the January 6 incident, his recent statements have been contradictory. It has been reported that Trump has indicated that “many” will be pardoned, but he has also hinted that there may be exceptions for those who went “out of control.”
Cynthia Rodriguez, a resident of Chandler, expressed her hope that the majority of Arizonans will join her in boycotting the inauguration. She cited Trump’s promise to pardon those who stormed the U.S. Capitol as one of the main reasons for her stance.
“I come from a family of law enforcement officers, and I can easily envision one of my loved ones getting injured in that riot simply because they were safeguarding innocent people.”
According to a recent study conducted by Pew Research Center, it is found that a mere 46% of Americans have expressed their intention to watch the presidential inauguration, where Donald Trump will be taking the oath of office. On the other hand, the majority, accounting for 51% of the population, have stated that they do not have any plans to watch the inauguration ceremony.
Even Republicans are showing less enthusiasm for watching Trump’s plans, according to the Pew Research data.
Republicans today are less excited about the inauguration compared to how Democrats felt about watching Obama’s eight years ago. In 2009, 84% of Democrats were enthusiastic about Obama’s inauguration, while only 69% of Republicans feel the same way today.
It is quite intriguing to note that Republicans showed more interest in watching Obama’s inaugural ceremony in 2009 compared to the level of interest Democrats have shown in watching Trump’s inauguration this week. Back in 2009, almost half of the Republicans and Republican leaners, that is 47%, had planned to witness Obama taking the oath of office.
Many Americans claim that they would decline an invitation to the inauguration, even if one were extended to them.
Only 39% of Americans express their willingness to attend this year’s inauguration if they were given a ticket. In contrast, in 2009, 43% of individuals stated that they would have attended the event.