Women’s Marches drew crowds in cities across the nation this weekend, including in Redding where hundreds of people joined forces to speak out about a variety of equality issues.
This year numbers were more than double from last year’s march, suggesting that the political climate has changed from a year ago, when women gathered to protest the civil discourse following the election of Donald Trump as President.
Marchers walked from Redding's City Hall along Cypress Avenue to Bechelli Lane and then back again. Organizer Elizabeth Betancourt said women are trying to bring to light issues that affect women as well as other minority groups.
"Even though I may not deal personally with LGBTQ issues, I certainly know people who do and I support those issues, I can be a sister to them,” she said. “Even though I personally don't deal with issues of being an African-American in the U.S. today, I certainly am a sister to them and can support those issues.”
One of the women marching for indigenous people's rights and other issues was Danielle Brewster who said that her people have been fighting since colonization for issues important to them.
"Standing for abortion access, violence against women, standing, the red here represents justice for the indigenous and missing and murdered women,” she said.
The Redding protest was only a small part of a movement that was seen in cities all over the U.S. and internationally this weekend.