Last Saturday, crowds flooded the streets of Philadelphia to march for women’s rights. According to WHYY, over 40,000 people were at the March for Women’s Rights. It came almost a year to the day after the 2017 march of the same name. Along with the march in Philadelphia, the nationwide campaign organized and held marches in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as many smaller towns and cities across the country.

Marchers were greeted with 50-degree weather and sunshine, which appeared to help with the turnout. Many of the marchers carried signs of a Philadelphia persuasion, including signs which read “fly women fly,” as the hometown Eagles were also appearing in the NFC Championship Game the following day.

While the first march was directly in response to the inauguration of Donald Trump as president, the second women’s march was focused on a major social movement currently taking place. Dubbed the #MeToo movement, the conversation centered on women accusing men in multiple industries, including entertainment, politics and the media of sexual harassment.

The march began at Logan Square, proceeding down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway before ending up in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where several speakers made prepared remarks to the crowd. That crowd included several students from Rowan who had a lot to say. For freshman political science major Chloe Letteri, the diversity of the crowd was something that she noticed right away.

“There’s all different types of people here, which is not what I was expecting,” Letteri said. “There’s young people, old people, kids, all different races and genders, and I think that’s awesome.”

Tony Iskander, a senior advertising major and secretary for the Rowan Democrats club, also commented on the march.

“The best thing I’ve seen about this march is once again, we’re reminded of how women come together and unite as one to fight the oppression that they face,” Iskander said.

“I have seen a lot of really creative signs,” said sophomore radio, television and film major Jerame Leipfinger. “I’ve felt this overall sense of pride and not being afraid to speak up for what you believe in. It’s uplifting.”

After the speeches, the crowd dispersed and went their separate ways. At this time, there is no concrete plan in place for another march next year.

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