Up to 50,000, many in pink, jam downtown Austin for Women’s March

Jan. 22--The day after President Donald Trump was sworn in, as many as 50,000 people descended Saturday on the Capitol in downtown Austin to march for women's rights in solidarity with a movement that spurred demonstrations worldwide.

Bearing pink, cat-eared hats, "Nasty Woman" shirts and other feminist gear, the protesters -- women and men alike -- swarmed the Capitol at noon to kick off the Women's March on Austin.

Cheers of "Love trumps hate," "My body, my choice" and "We will rise" filled the air.

The streets were so packed that many chose to stand on the sidewalks to cheer on fellow marchers, and it took two hours for all of the protesters to walk the one-mile loop. Police estimated that at its peak, between 40,000 and 50,000 people attended the Austin march.

Lead organizer Melissa Fiero said Trump's election elicited many concerns for her and others about the safety of their rights and energized them to make their voices be heard.

"It's a message to the incoming administration, to the Trump administration, but also to Texas legislators and elected officials, that we are a newly activated and motivated group of women who believe strongly that women's rights are human's rights," Fiero said.

At the Capitol around 1 p.m., a slate of speakers and performers took to the stage to call for equality, to fight against racism and sexism, and to encourage political activism, some blatantly and others more subtly, in resistance to Trump's agenda.

Among the speakers was U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who urged attendees to get involved and speak up against discriminatory policies.

"This is the beginning, not the end, of standing up to this administration," Doggett said. "If this march ends today, we get nowhere. ... This is not a time for despair; it's a time for democracy."

Perhaps the most highly anticipated speaker was former state Sen. Wendy Davis, who donned the same pink sneakers she wore during her now-famous filibuster against a controversial state abortion bill in June 2013. The Democrat was greeted by screaming and applause.

Davis said she understands how Texans might feel discouraged by decreased funding for public education, women's health care and children's welfare systems. But, tipping her hat to Georgia lawmaker and civil rights leader John Lewis, Davis repeated his words: "You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong."

"We have shown that we have the courage to rise up against what we know to be wrong," Davis said. "That day in June of 2013 was one of them, and today is another. A day when we come together in community and demand to be heard, an amazing day, a tipping-point day."

Sarah Piercy, 19, a University of Texas senior, said she joined the march because she's a longtime feminist who wanted to show her support for women's reproductive rights and equal wages for women. Piercy held a sign reading, "I won't get over it."

"I was getting tired of people telling us to," she said of her sign. "But I don't think we should 'get over' our rights, and I don't think we should shut down democracy. Protesting is part of democracy."

Sandra Garcia drove in a carpool with a half-dozen women from San Antonio and donned a purple Women's March shirt that read, "They tried to bury us; they didn't know we were seeds," and a rainbow flag sticker.

"Obviously I'm very disappointed in the results of the election, and I feel like our voices have to be heard," Garcia said. "Mr. Trump needs to understand that women, minorities, LGBT people, immigrants, Muslims are not just going to sit idly by and watch them scale back all the progress that we've made in the last eight years."

Austin resident Maya Reisman, 24, said she wanted to come together with women of all backgrounds to show support for one other.

"We feel kind of helpless at this point, and protesting helps me know I'm not alone and that there are other people around here that feel the same way," Reisman said.

After the march, Katie Lawrence, 31, of Dallas said she felt proud to have been able to participate. Seeing the huge turnout and the range in ages of the participants, Lawrence said, was emotional and overwhelming.

"It's very unifying. I feel like we'll be heard," she said. "You cannot stay silent when your rights are being threatened, when illegal things are going on in our government. You cannot stay silent because then it becomes normal."

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