Hundreds gather for fourth “Womxn’s March” in Colorado Springs
Hundreds of people took to the streets Saturday afternoon for the fourth-annual "Womxn's March" in Colorado Springs.
Women of all ages and backgrounds marched for a variety of issues, but leading the group were indigenous women. This year's theme showed solidarity to the "stolen sisters," women who have been murdered or gone missing in Native American tribal lands.
"It's absurd that we have thousands of indigenous women that are missing and that are murdered," said Lorena Garcia, who is running for the 2020 U.S. Senate election in Colorado.
"The fact that we had that highlighted today, that we had the advocates for this movement at the front of the march shows that there's a shift right now," Garcia said.
The event began in City Auditorium with keynote speakers addressing the hundreds of people cheering and listening attentively. The march then continued as everyone walked on the downtown streets and made their way to City Hall.
While there were several handmade-signs and chants criticizing President Trump, the marchers say they were also advocating for issues that should be bipartisan.
Adrian Brock said she was marching for climate change, social security and immigration.
"We've gotta fix all this," said Brock, who has lived in Colorado Springs all of her life. "You can't treat people the way this country has. You just can't do that."
Janet Luce, who has a daughter studying physics engineering, says she would like to see equal opportunities for women in S.T.E.M. careers.
"Yes, this is a liberal-leaning protest, but there we all have the same things in mind," Luce said. "I'm a mom. I want good education for my children. I want them to have as many opportunities as the men do."
Local organizers also followed the national trend to replace the "e" in "women," with a "x." They said it includes non-binary and transgender people.
Naomi Sixxkiller Parnes, who is of Cherokee descent, joined the rally from Denver.
"It's super important to center women of color, center indigenous womens, center transwomen in the work that we do," Parnes said. "And make sure that the most vulnerable and marginalized are in the front and protected."
Previous "Womxn's March" demonstrations have brought counter-protests by Trump-supporters. This year there were no visible and organized counter-protesting groups.
