The Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Part 4
I continued to walk when I heard music and saw these three protesting something. Naturally curious, I asked what was going on. Bikers For Trump were behind them. Okay and then on cue someone walked by saying something totally awful to these three because of who they were protesting, etc. Unbelievable.
So I went to check it all out.
They were playing music from an iPod(I think) and Kid Rock’s Cowboy played twice. I thought it was funny, because I kind of like that song, but wondered what that had to do with anything.
The two people here in the middle were pretty cool to chat with, we spoke about music and I was digging her boots 🙂
All in all, it was very peaceful, some heated discussions, but that was to be expected.
I showed them my Press Pass and was polite, taking photos. I’ve found that being friendly with everyone is the best thing, no matter what. We all have a voice and a right to be heard.
A young man(he appeared to be of Latino background) from Georgia and this woman were having a discussion about slavery.
He then had to back off and Google Jim Crow….
Here she is with her three fabulous and beautiful friends, just like her 😀 You had just educated someone that day, remember that.
Don’s Johns were locked up in this area. You may have heard or read about someone covering up the logo for the Inauguration?
People were leaving their signs in places to be noticed, in remembrance…
Mother and daughter….
This woman’s granddaughter made her sign for that day, it’s one of my favorites too.
The sun was setting, the clouds were grey, the light was fading fast. But my lens was fast as well to continue to capture this family in front of Abe Lincoln’s statue at the top of the stairs of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
These two best little girlfriends at the end of a long day with their signs.
The line at the Metro station in front of the Archives Building was long!
The King of The Metro!
Can you see the people waay in the back? Yeah that’s part of the line.
I don’t know where to begin either….
But as a business, I do have to pay my taxes every quarter and every year….
No arrests were made.
Half a million people were in Washington D.C. that day.
Millions more worldwide marched.
The Women’s March was an historic event that I will never forget.My sister-in law was there with her daughter, my niece. My aunt and uncle were also there. I only wish that my daughter, husband and other family members could’ve been with me.
My group from NJ had left on their bus, there was no way that I was going to be able to make it. Luckily, I have an aunt and uncle that live in Arlington right off the orange line of the Metro. I didn’t plan to stay overnight, much less 2 nights. As it turned out, I wasn’t able to get a train out of town until Monday morning.
I met so many interesting people, and those that I handed my cards to, I hope that you are reading my blog posts. Please comment and contact me! The group of women that I was photographing for, we met up to eat dinner. I couldn’t find a cab, so I got a rickshaw near the Post Office Pavilion. That is my favorite landmark in the city of D.C. and it’s now A. Hotel….I’ve been told by a women whom I met right before getting on my rickshaw, that it does look great inside, she works for the historic preservation of the building(thanks again for the cheese and grapes!). The guy getting me to dinner was great, he was in the Army, and from Pittsburgh, PA. He once had Drew Cary as a customer, and said that he was really nice. I’ve heard that too.
Yes, I’m loading images using my Wacom tablet, backing them up onto a portable hard drive. Dinner was fun, delish, and full of satisfying conversation. Thank you Karen for the photo!
Sunday I went to Mass at Holy Trinity in Georgetown, this is where we go, my aunt and uncle do many things with the parish. Holy Trinity is my church away from home. After Mass, Mark Shriver was having a talk about his new book with a Q&A and then a book signing afterwards. I really enjoyed listening to him speak, every sentence was a story. I asked him a question regarding his own challenges, writing, and moving forward with this subject even further. I meant to say branching off, but I didn’t get the words out quite the way I wanted to.
Book Signing with Mark Shriver after talking about his new book titled, “Pilgrimage, My Search For The Real Pope Francis” at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Mark Shriver signing his book for my father, and then one for myself.
My uncle took this photo for me with my cell phone.
The rest of that Sunday was quiet, dark and stormy. I worked on my images, drank chai tea and noshed. Spoke to my family in NJ and relaxed as well as I could. The next morning I caught my train at Union Station. These I shot with my iPhone SE.
On the train, it was really crowded, sold out! But everyone was nice, helping each other out. I got some work done, and started to read Mark’s book.
The train was bouncing around a bit…I was punch drunk tired…but not able to sleep, so reading was the perfect anecdote. Getting off at the Trenton, NJ Amtrak/NJTRANSIT station was brisk and windy. No I’m not having a baby, my jacket is puffed out LOL! But I wanted to show you the size of my 25lb bag on me. This is how I was during the entire march. I walked, climbed on top of things, and at one point, jogged/ran. Being a mother, I still had things to do, errands to run and a daughter to pick up from school who was incredibly happy to see her mommy <3 I didn’t sleep until later that night.
A HUGE thank you to Becky who organized the bus and everything to get us all down there, the women of UniteWomen.org,(I miss you ladies already!), everyone whom I met and had conversations with, especially the women who lives in/near Union Station, my fingers are crossed for you. Another big hug and thank you to my aunt and uncle who I was able to stay with. Thank you both for EVERYTHING, I love you so very much!
And of course, THANK YOU to my husband, my daughter and my parents. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to have gone down. I love you all <3
The Onondowa’ga’ American Indians with the Onondaga Nation’s (“People of the Hills”) flag.
I managed to get inside the rally with my backpack, it weighed 25 lbs, on me it was huge, as I’m just 5’0 and around 100lbs. I was super polite and determined to get through the crowd. And then I came to a fence. No one would let me in because even though I had a press pass, I wasn’t able to get the Media Credentials. Security said that I should’ve gotten there sooner. Well I tried, but the crowds were crazy, my bus was parked in MD, and it took longer than expected to get there. I was upset, exhausted, sore and more than anything, disappointed. Disappointed because I wanted to do the very best job that I was asked to do, and I was sooo close to getting to the stage.
So I’m just standing there, catching my breath, figuring out my next move while taking some photos. I then hear a woman say to me, you’re making me feel uncomfortable. Thinking that I had hit her with my bag, I immediately said I’m sorry, that I was with an organization and was trying to do my job of documenting the event. I showed her my pass, and yet she kept talking….I’m very uncomfortable with you and your backpack…I’m still not getting it. I had not been able to eat lunch yet, so I said, I’m sorry what? She said, Boston? Backpack? You weren’t checked in by security, so I’m very uncomfortable with you being here. Once again, patiently I said, politely explained who I was with, etc., and she kept going on and on. Finally I was like, where can I go? You’re making me uncomfortable by saying these things to me, you know what’s uncomfortable? Carrying around my gear, all day, gladly, and not being able to go to a certain point to do my job! Then the other women around me started telling her to be quiet, and that I was just fine, and that we are all here to support one another. She finally stopped, but really there’s always one person….
As you can see, I was really close, and don’t think I wasn’t tempted to make a jump for it. But after much thought, I decided I needed to get out of there as the march was going to start really soon at this point.
So once again, I wiggled out of there, excuse me please, excuse me please, thank you, excuse me please, excuse me please, thank you, until I got out. My name that day was The Excuse Me Please Girl with the Big Camera Backpack….
Back on C St., everyone was filing out, and somewhere the march had started….
I loved this guy <3
Someone was listening to me…
I found another pile of steel to stand up on, so I climbed up and had fun!
This mother and her daughters were chanting, this is what Democracy looks like! This is what Democracy sounds like!
Entire families were there. My aunt, uncle, sister-in law and my niece were somewhere there too! I tried to find them, but phones, and connections didn’t work very well that day.
I loved how people would stop in front of me so that I could take their picture.
Many people were there from Standing Rock. By now I was hearing drums….
Love her sunglasses, Pink Batgirl!
Pure joy….
I actually ran into friends on this busy corner! The woman on the left wearing the green jacket is one of my daughter’s 
After eating, I made my way around, taking more photos….the march has pretty much ended it seemed in this area.
People on the stage were still speaking…
I just followed everyone and found great people and their signs…
I said something funny and wrong to get their reactions…
I took their photos with their cell phones, and then I took one with mine, an even trade…
Of course there was a group of extreme Christians, blaring Bible quotes into a speakerphone across the street. They kept turning up the volume. Everyone gets to have a voice 🙂 
I loved this sign that simply said…Ugh!
This young woman next to me was with her mom who was live Tweeting I think, was shouting out anti-Trump and positive women chants for the crowds. It was really great!
I personally love the Catholics For Choice group….
This was great! A pink pussy cat shaped like a traditional Chinese Dragon used to celebrate New Year’s.
I got my picture taken a few times too!
This woman stopped right in front of me so that I could take her picture, I didn’t have to ask her to do anything.
Part of our NJ group waiting in the ENORMOUS line in Maryland at the Metro station….
Listening to the live broadcast of Gloria Stein at the March on her cellphone during the few times we had service on the crowded Metro line.
