Women’s March Unites in Peaceful Protest

By Victoria Kertz | NB Indy

Main Beach roared with cheers as an estimated 2,000 people rallied in spirit with the Women’s March on Washington and the hundreds of “sister marches” across the globe last Saturday, Jan. 21. Women wielded signs and raised their voices alongside hundreds of men, many bearing signs of support, as did children. Even babies joined in, riding in poster-adorned strollers. The mood was equal parts festive and defiant.

Eleanor Henry, a 50-year resident and regular at the weekly Laguna Beach Peace Vigil, said it was the largest protest event she had ever seen at Main Beach. “The first time I voted was in 1944. We all have something to say,” the 93-year-old beamed. “My 3-year old great-granddaughter in Brooklyn is protesting today, too, and I feel like I am with her.” Henry expressed the hope that the march would boost participation in the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday vigils, also at Main Beach, which has drawn honks as well as jeers since the ‘70s.

While most of Saturday’s worldwide marches were in response to the election of Donald Trump, the Laguna Beach rally was conceived for another reason. It was designed to heal a “town that is heartbroken,” said organizer Cindy Obrand of FM radio station KX 93.5 and known to her listeners as “Radio Neighboring Show” host Ida Mae.

Obrand initially planned to board a train with her friends to Santa Ana for the Women’s March Orange County, but she was compelled to organize a local march in the wake of a racially-motivated attack last month involving Laguna Beach High School students.

“People were calling into my show and talking about that horrible night. Then it certainly hit me, ‘This is what I’m going to do!’ ” She registered the event as Sisters Standing Solid with Sisters in the March on Washington with the national march organizers and obtained a city permit.

“The response has been so overwhelming! I knew we were ready to celebrate our unity and diversity. I even got an email from a woman in Iraq!” Obrand said. As of last Saturday, 3,671 people registered on the event’s website to march in Laguna Beach.

Unity was the overarching theme, though a variety of causes were reflected in the sea of colorful signs, whose topics ranged from affordable healthcare to protecting the environment and saving the arts. Keith Dunnell of Laguna Niguel attended with his family. “It brings people together to share their values.”

Though the air was intensely anti-Trump, a few supporters of the president walked the perimeter of the massive crowd in red “Make American Great Again” baseball caps.

Among them was Jennifer Zieter, of Laguna Beach, who marched along the sidewalk where protestors faced passing traffic, bearing two pro-Trump posters and an American flag. She engaged a few protesters. “I am here to support our president and all that he has done,” she explained. “I am all for the peaceful transition of power back to the Republican party.”

Jill Nugent of Aliso Viejo marched with her three sons, James, Alex, and Patrick, who attend Top of the World Elementary School. “All women deserve the same respect as any man and should be treated equally,” Nugent said. “I do not like the way the president speaks about women.”

Kathleen Gonzalez of Laguna Beach also brought her sons, Thomas and Jack, who attend El Morro Elementary School. “It’s all about equality,” she told them, “Don’t judge.”

Mayor Toni Iseman addressed the crowd on a stage provided by KX 93.5 FM, as did Rita Conn of Let Laguna Vote. “What thrills me are the young moms,” Conn remarked, “They’re so determined to create a better world for their children.” Conn exhorted the crowd to stay strong and keep fighting for their causes.

Frustration over equal rights led Terri Macado of Laguna Hills to speak emotionally. “I’m here, as a gay woman, to say that what I’ve seen over the last 18 months is ridiculous. We are forcing the government to listen to us.”

Linda Bassett and Jaime Weber, a mother and daughter from Dana Point, said they marched to support the Women’s March on Washington and hoped events like Saturday’s will not be the last. “We hope these efforts keep moving. We want change. We are still out here,” said Bassett.

Activists on social media also hope the momentum will continue for a proposed march on April 15, Tax Day, to demand that President

Trump release his tax return. Past presidents have released their tax records, but Trump so far has refused to do so. Tax returns are due on April 18 this year, because April 15 falls on a Saturday.

Plans for a Tax Day protest in Laguna Beach have yet to materialize; no one has yet applied for a permit, said MaryAnne Tracey, a community services department spokeswoman. “The most important thing,” Conn said after the rally, “is that we not lose the passion and energy that we saw on Saturday.”

History’s record on what public protests can accomplish is mixed. “I know the power of demonstration,” said 82-year old Coto de Caza resident Chuck Morrell, who attended Saturday’s rally. “I saw it in the civil rights movement, I saw it during Vietnam. Women earned the right to vote because of their marches, even though the president at the time was against it.”

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, best remembered for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, is often cited for pushing forward the passage of civil rights legislation. It remains to be seen whether the millions that marched Saturday will affect the Trump administration’s decisions.

Mick Obrand, a radio station supporter, cautioned that there is still work to do, despite the large turnout. “We have accomplished a lot in terms of racial and gender equality, but it’s obvious that we still have a long way to go.”