Thousands of people descended on the streets of Washington, DC, as the March for Black Women and the March for Racial Justice were staged simultaneously in the US capital Saturday.
Organizers described the event as a “rallying cry for justice for the victims of this violent system that disproportionately targets Black, Brown and Indigenous peoples.”
“We have really witnessed a resurgence in terms of a public arena of the white supremacy and racism, that has been protected and comforted by this administration, and by all the other folks that are engaged or supporting this administration,” Rev. Raylar Scott told RT’s Ruptly video agency against the backdrop of the Emancipation Memorial at Lincoln Park.
While the M4BW targeted black women's hardships specifically, the organizers also stated broader goals.
“We have always put it simply: Black women's issues are racial justice issues. Black lived-experiences related to gender, sexuality, gender identity are-racial-justice-issues. We need you to show up for Black women,” the event’s website reads.
At some point, the chanting and banner carrying activists kneeled before the Trump Hotel building, mimicking the NFL kneeling protests.
The protestors chanted “Shame” and “No KKK, no fascist USA.” The demonstrators also engaged in offensive gestures toward the building.
While the two marches were organized separately, they were coordinated, as protesters took different routes before merging into one column to march past the Department of Justice and then onto the National Mall where a joint rally concluded the day's protest action.