Nearly 3,500 rally at Texas Capitol for Women’s March

Holding a sign that read “Respect my Existence or Expect Resistance,” Qurrat Thakur stood at the front of nearly 3,500 people rallying Saturday at the Capitol during the fourth Annual Austin Women’s March.

Thakur, who brought along her daughter and niece, said she attended the event with the hope it would spark positive change. The mother said she wanted the young women by her side to have the equality her ancestors fought for, but were never granted.

“Everyone needs to be treated equally,” Thakur said. “I’m hoping to turn my daughter and niece into social justice warriors.”

The attendees at Saturday’s rally were boisterous as they chanted for equality in salaries, abortion rights, health care opportunities for women in poverty and for the rights of immigrant women and women of color.

Several of the women at the event described the atmosphere as positive, leaving them feeling united, empowered and supported.

Saturday's crowd was a shadow of the 2017 Austin march, which drew 50,000 people on the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. That was the largest demonstration in Austin’s history and one of many around the country that day that have been collectively called the largest single-day demonstration in American history.

Organizers this year did not expect to see crowds as large as 2017, but Samson said they were happy with Texas Department of Public Safety’s estimates.

Tracy Samson, one of the organizers for the Women’s March, said Saturday’s event was different from the previous ones because of its close proximity to the presidential election in November.

“Our biggest push this year is voting,” Samson said. “If we don’t vote, we’re not heard. If we don’t vote, nothing is going to change.”

Samson said, to her knowledge, no one was protesting against rally at or near the event, to her knowledge.

The roughly dozen speakers included state Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin; Democratic congressional candidate Wendy Davis; and Austin City Council Members Alison Alter and Delia Garza, among others.

Pooja Sethi, a local immigration attorney who is running for a seat on the City Council, gave up her time at the podium Saturday to let one of her clients speak instead.

The woman, who remained nameless during her speech, told her story about the physical, sexual and verbal abuse she endured from her husband and his family after moving from India to the United States.

“I was forced to live in an abusive relationship because I was not working and unable to support my daughter,” the woman said. “Today, I am able to live and work independently and still trying to get my full legal status. But, every day is one day more towards freedom.”

Gabrielle Samaripa and Ivanna English, who walked hand-in-hand on the Capitol grounds in complementary pink outfits, said they decided to march Saturday out of “love and anger.”

“I want to show my support for women everywhere,” Samaripa said. “All kinds of women. Cis, trans, black, white.”

English added: “I feel like I’m in a place right now where I feel a little scared to be a woman or to show my love for other women as recently coming out as bi(sexual). Why should we not be treated equally? Why should we not be paid equally? Why should we have this deep harbored fear of just walking down a street on our own?”

Melanie Hickerson, who said she was 26 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion, said the nation needs to embrace diversity by supporting women’s rights.

Hickerson said people should support all women, whether they are immigrants or members of the LGBTQ community.

“It’s encouraging to see things get better, but you can’t stop fighting,” Hickerson said. “We’re not there yet.”