OAKLAND, Calif. – On Saturday, January 20, 2018, a crowd of nearly 50,000 gathered near Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. for the second annual Women’s March. The march was first held on the same day as President Trump’s inauguration in 2017 and had about 5 million participants in cities across the globe, according to estimates by the group Women’s March Bay Area. This year, the organizers of the Women’s March Oakland focused on “voter education and participation as well as uplifting tomorrow’s leaders,” according to their website.
The march featured colorful signs with displays of #MeToo and #StillShePersisted as well as speakers and musical performances. Speakers included Representative Barbara Lee, State Controller Betty Yee and Alisha Shaik, co-chair of March for our Future. The march began next to Lake Merritt, continued down 14th Street and ended at a social gathering in Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, featuring local advocacy groups, vendors and women-owned businesses.
