Hundreds rally in downtown Women’s March ahead of ‘most crucial election of our lifetime’

With the Nov. 3 election looming, hundreds of women marched downtown Saturday morning to make their case against electing President Donald Trump for a second term.

“This is the most crucial election of our lifetime,” organizer Gianna Gizzi told a crowd of several hundred who gathered at Federal Plaza in the yearly event meant to empower woman and encourage equality.

“We’re marching for the people here and those who can’t be here,” Gizzi said.

Though this year’s march paled in comparison to the 2017 gathering that drew tens of thousands, the rally also attracted first-timers, including Michele McGowan, who said she came with a friend to let politicians know the will of the people.

“This is something we should be fighting for. Our politicians shouldn’t be choosing our fate — we should,” she said.

A mother and her daughter attend the Women’s March at Federal Plaza in the Loop Saturday morning. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Joann M, right, holds a sign during the Women’s March in the Loop Saturday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Marie Purich, right, and her sister Lillian attend the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Sarah McIntosh, left, her dog Tunnu, and Jeanine Ross, right, attend the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Nataki Rhodes speaks during the Women’s March, which aims to rally voters, at Daley Plaza in the Loop Saturday morning. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Lillian Purich chants during the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Ruth Novak holds a sign with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s picture during the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Protesters march from Federal Plaza to Daley Plaza in the Loop during the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Hundreds of people participate in the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Hundreds of people participate in the Women’s March. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Police cordoned the marchers to the sidewalk as they made their way down Dearborn Street to Daley Plaza.

Marchers held signs that said, “Vote for change “ and “I’m doing this now so my future daughter does not have to.”

Elementary school teacher Lillian Puicha told the crowd that electing Trump for a second term would imperil programs like Planned Parenthood and harm a woman’s right to choose an abortion.

“Women, we are at risk of losing so much this election,” said 24-year-old Puicha, of downstate Normal.

“Empowered women empower other women,” she said. “Our bodies are ours — that’s why we’re here.”

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Organizers also rallied virtually with a Zoom rally hosted by the Women’s March Chicago chapter, which included an appearance from Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

“We deserve a city government that is indeed inclusive, equitable and transparent, a government driven by commitments to gender and racial equity — and people across the nation deserve exactly the same thing,” Lightfoot said. “Look what the last four years has brought us — not just at the national scale, but across the country. When we don’t vote, we give up our seat at the table… We can’t afford to do that.”

Contributing: MitchelI Armentrout