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| ‘A Day Without a Woman’ Protest: Marches and Closings | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, during a nationwide demonstration called A Day Without a Woman, organizers of events like the Women’s March on Washington were trying to pull off another high-profile mass action. It was a test of whether anti-Trump fervor can be turned into a sustained political movement. | WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, during a nationwide demonstration called A Day Without a Woman, organizers of events like the Women’s March on Washington were trying to pull off another high-profile mass action. It was a test of whether anti-Trump fervor can be turned into a sustained political movement. |
| The event, organized by several of the leaders of the women’s march and in conjunction with several women’s right groups, is the latest in a series of demonstrations since Inauguration Day that rely on strikes or boycotts to protest the Trump administration. Check back here for updates throughout the day. | |
| Officials in Providence, R.I., said the absence of seven women who work as clerks and of one deputy court administrator had led the municipal court there to be mostly closed. The women handle many of the nuts-and-bolts operations. | |
| “That the court had to shut down in their absence, I think, is telling,” said Michaela Antunes, press secretary for the Providence City Council. | |
| “Some staff was on site today to assist anyone who wasn’t aware of the closure,” Ms. Antunes said. “Seven scheduled trials were heard in court, but no judgments have been processed today. No payments have been entered. Any mail received today will be processed with today’s date tomorrow.” | “Some staff was on site today to assist anyone who wasn’t aware of the closure,” Ms. Antunes said. “Seven scheduled trials were heard in court, but no judgments have been processed today. No payments have been entered. Any mail received today will be processed with today’s date tomorrow.” |
| Earlier in the week, the city’s mayor, Jorge Elorza, said city employees could use vacation or personal days to take the day off. | Earlier in the week, the city’s mayor, Jorge Elorza, said city employees could use vacation or personal days to take the day off. |
| But Ms. Antunes herself decided to come to work. “Logistically it wouldn’t have worked for me,” she said, “I’m sure I would have wound up working at home. A day off isn’t really a day off in my line of work.” — Jess Bidgood | |
| A few dozen red-clad demonstrators turned out at a downtown plaza in Lafayette, Ind., to speak out against what they said were systemic attacks on women’s rights. The spirited gathering, one of three women’s rallies in the area, included chants of “Hey Trump, step off it, put people over profit” and signs with messages like “I Strike For Full Social Provisioning.” | |
| “I thought it was empowering,” said Gloria Goings, 63, a retired nurse and first-time protester. She said she had felt compelled to come because of “the injustice that women deal with — like jobs, everyday life.” | |
| But attendance was only a fraction of what was in the march in January, when hundreds took to Lafayette’s streets, and the impact on business Wednesday seemed limited. | |
| “As far as what we’ve seen today, most places are business as usual,” said Erin Easter, a vice president for Greater Lafayette Commerce, a local business group. | |
| A spokeswoman for the city of Lafayette said she was not aware of any municipal workers taking the day off as part of the strike, nor had she heard of closures or event cancellations related to the strike. | |
| Across the Wabash River in West Lafayette, Mayor John R. Dennis said he had not seen any noticeable impact. And a spokesman for nearby Purdue University said there had been no major uptick in staff or student absences. | |
| There was an exception: Fuel, a coffee shop on Lafayette’s Main Street shut its doors at 11, when the local rallies started. A sign on the door said it had closed “in solidarity with the great global endeavor of gender equality.” | |
| Colleen Mathews, 42, a co-owner of Fuel, said she hoped the closing could “legitimately help start a dialogue.” | |
| “I’ve been feeling like I went from a waitress who bought a coffee shop to a person who can participate in things like this,” said Ms. Mathews. | |
| Melissa Gruver, 33, who helped organize the events in Lafayette, said the day was meant as a way for women to show their collective strength. Ms. Gruver, who took Wednesday off from her job at Purdue, said she was also trying to limit her unpaid labor as part of the strike. | |
| “I had to stop myself a couple of times this morning, to not rearrange things in our bathroom that had been moved a couple days ago,” Ms. Gruver said. | |
| Though the downtown rally only lasted about 30 minutes, Ms. Gruver and other women were spending the day at a community center, where they planned to watch movies with female empowerment themes. | |
| “I’m not going to let others decide for me what I’m going to think about or talk about today,” Ms. Gruver said. “We’re just going to eat and talk about what we want to talk about.” — Mitch Smith | |
| A march attended by several hundred people (and dozens of journalists) briefly blocked streets that surround the White House. The morning protest was one of several events held by separate groups there on Wednesday. During the lunch hour, several marchers went to the Capitol, where lawmakers had staged a walkout and held news conference. | |
| The demonstration near the White House was meant to target Mr. Trump’s so-called global gag rule, but women like Rebecca Wood, 37, said they had a long list of other complaints, from access to affordable health care to the latest version of the Trump administration’s travel ban. | The demonstration near the White House was meant to target Mr. Trump’s so-called global gag rule, but women like Rebecca Wood, 37, said they had a long list of other complaints, from access to affordable health care to the latest version of the Trump administration’s travel ban. |
| “I used to list so many things on a sign,” said Ms. Wood, a stay-at-home mother who stood with her 4-year-old daughter, Charlie, on her shoulders. “Now I have so many concerns I just have a sign that says ‘RESIST.’” | “I used to list so many things on a sign,” said Ms. Wood, a stay-at-home mother who stood with her 4-year-old daughter, Charlie, on her shoulders. “Now I have so many concerns I just have a sign that says ‘RESIST.’” |
| Several women said that they were just dropping by on their lunch hour. Others said they were able to take the day off because they had helped organize the event. | Several women said that they were just dropping by on their lunch hour. Others said they were able to take the day off because they had helped organize the event. |
| Wajiha Rais, a 25-year-old lawyer, held a sign that said, “Keep your tiny, tiny, tiny hands off my uterus,” and said she had been using her lunch break to attend recent protests held downtown. | Wajiha Rais, a 25-year-old lawyer, held a sign that said, “Keep your tiny, tiny, tiny hands off my uterus,” and said she had been using her lunch break to attend recent protests held downtown. |
| “It feels like the country has regressed quite a bit with our new president,” Ms. Rais said. “We need people to make room for us and our voices instead of speaking for us.” | “It feels like the country has regressed quite a bit with our new president,” Ms. Rais said. “We need people to make room for us and our voices instead of speaking for us.” |
| Others had taken the day off hoping to build momentum from the Women’s March on Washington. Lorraine Osinski, 44, took off from work at an environmental advocacy organization, and wore red at the protest, but as she looked around at the relatively small crowd, she said she saw the work that still had to be done. | Others had taken the day off hoping to build momentum from the Women’s March on Washington. Lorraine Osinski, 44, took off from work at an environmental advocacy organization, and wore red at the protest, but as she looked around at the relatively small crowd, she said she saw the work that still had to be done. |
| “I hope that this is the continuation of the women’s march,” she said, “but this isn’t going to be the one thing that does it.” — Katie Rogers | “I hope that this is the continuation of the women’s march,” she said, “but this isn’t going to be the one thing that does it.” — Katie Rogers |
| How is A Day Without a Woman related to the Women’s March? | How is A Day Without a Woman related to the Women’s March? |
| Think of it this way: The Women’s March on Washington, which took place the day after President Trump’s inauguration and drew hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, was intended to kick off a new era of activism. Since experts say an important metric for a movement’s success is sustained and energized displays of activism, a day of strikes could show the power of targeted protests by women’s groups. But they also caution that one-day protests alone do not build lasting political movements. Supporters must find ways of channeling that energy into continued pressure, and demonstrable political results nationally and in their own communities. | Think of it this way: The Women’s March on Washington, which took place the day after President Trump’s inauguration and drew hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, was intended to kick off a new era of activism. Since experts say an important metric for a movement’s success is sustained and energized displays of activism, a day of strikes could show the power of targeted protests by women’s groups. But they also caution that one-day protests alone do not build lasting political movements. Supporters must find ways of channeling that energy into continued pressure, and demonstrable political results nationally and in their own communities. |
| What are organizers asking women to do? | What are organizers asking women to do? |
| The goal of this demonstration is to show that woman’s presence should not be taken for granted, and to highlight disparities in rights and pay. Organizers are asking women to take off work and to avoid shopping, unless it’s at small businesses owned by minorities or women. Those who are unable to participate are asked to wear red. At least two related protests will take place in Washington, and a march is being organized in Manhattan. Several other marches, organized by groups including International Women’s Strike USA, will be held around the country. | The goal of this demonstration is to show that woman’s presence should not be taken for granted, and to highlight disparities in rights and pay. Organizers are asking women to take off work and to avoid shopping, unless it’s at small businesses owned by minorities or women. Those who are unable to participate are asked to wear red. At least two related protests will take place in Washington, and a march is being organized in Manhattan. Several other marches, organized by groups including International Women’s Strike USA, will be held around the country. |
| On Capitol Hill, many women planned to wear red in support of the protest. While at least some House Democratic women are expected to “walk off” the House floor — and straight out to a news conference on the steps — there appeared to be no plans for female lawmakers to stay home. | On Capitol Hill, many women planned to wear red in support of the protest. While at least some House Democratic women are expected to “walk off” the House floor — and straight out to a news conference on the steps — there appeared to be no plans for female lawmakers to stay home. |
| What are some other recent examples of strike-based protests? | What are some other recent examples of strike-based protests? |
| Mr. Trump has put into place policies, including a travel ban and a rollback of Obama-era protections for transgender students, that have sparked protests. In February, restaurant owners and activists led a nationwide charge to encourage immigrants to sit out of work for a day, attempting to jolt an industry that relies heavily on immigrant labor to put food on the table. With the #GrabYourWallet movement, activists asked shoppers to boycott Trump products. And in New York City, Yemeni-owned bodegas in New York City shut down for a day as owners protested the first version of the president’s travel ban. | Mr. Trump has put into place policies, including a travel ban and a rollback of Obama-era protections for transgender students, that have sparked protests. In February, restaurant owners and activists led a nationwide charge to encourage immigrants to sit out of work for a day, attempting to jolt an industry that relies heavily on immigrant labor to put food on the table. With the #GrabYourWallet movement, activists asked shoppers to boycott Trump products. And in New York City, Yemeni-owned bodegas in New York City shut down for a day as owners protested the first version of the president’s travel ban. |
| Is A Day Without a Woman causing debate? | Is A Day Without a Woman causing debate? |
| Yes. Not everyone supports the idea of women taking a day off. On social media, a debate has already begun over which women will get to participate in the strike, and which women will be stuck behind to fill in the gaps. On the Facebook page for the Alexandria City Public Schools, one of at least two school districts that will be closed for the day on Wednesday, people are questioning who will pay for child care that day, and why tax dollars are going toward teachers taking a day off. | Yes. Not everyone supports the idea of women taking a day off. On social media, a debate has already begun over which women will get to participate in the strike, and which women will be stuck behind to fill in the gaps. On the Facebook page for the Alexandria City Public Schools, one of at least two school districts that will be closed for the day on Wednesday, people are questioning who will pay for child care that day, and why tax dollars are going toward teachers taking a day off. |
| “Any teacher that chooses to not show up and teach our children should be fired on the spot,” one observer wrote. “Protest on your time, not ours.” | “Any teacher that chooses to not show up and teach our children should be fired on the spot,” one observer wrote. “Protest on your time, not ours.” |
| And not everyone who is interested in striking can justify taking the time off. Erin Thesing, an elementary schoolteacher in Washington, considered taking the day off, and spent days weighing her options. In an email, Ms. Thesing wrote that she realized taking the day off would mean extra hours of work to make up for lost time, and that others would most likely have to take her place. | And not everyone who is interested in striking can justify taking the time off. Erin Thesing, an elementary schoolteacher in Washington, considered taking the day off, and spent days weighing her options. In an email, Ms. Thesing wrote that she realized taking the day off would mean extra hours of work to make up for lost time, and that others would most likely have to take her place. |
| “Knowing that my taking leave would require another woman to work in my place made it feel really hard to take leave,” Ms. Thesing wrote. | “Knowing that my taking leave would require another woman to work in my place made it feel really hard to take leave,” Ms. Thesing wrote. |
| On Tuesday evening, officials in Prince George’s County, another school district near Washington, said in a statement that they would close for the day. | On Tuesday evening, officials in Prince George’s County, another school district near Washington, said in a statement that they would close for the day. |
| Some 1,700 teachers requested the day off. | Some 1,700 teachers requested the day off. |
| How is International Women’s Day being marked around the world? | How is International Women’s Day being marked around the world? |
| On the same day that A Day Without a Woman is taking place, people around the world are marking International Women’s Day with celebrations of women and protests against sexual violence and the gender pay gap. | On the same day that A Day Without a Woman is taking place, people around the world are marking International Women’s Day with celebrations of women and protests against sexual violence and the gender pay gap. |
| Women in Tbilisi, Georgia, demonstrated under a symbolic “glass ceiling” to illustrate limitations on women’s advancement. In Moscow, men lined up at flower stalls at the Rizhsky Market to buy bouquets to honor their female relatives. | Women in Tbilisi, Georgia, demonstrated under a symbolic “glass ceiling” to illustrate limitations on women’s advancement. In Moscow, men lined up at flower stalls at the Rizhsky Market to buy bouquets to honor their female relatives. |
| And in India, where for many women a toilet is still an aspiration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a celebration of women who had worked hard to secure this basic item for their families. | And in India, where for many women a toilet is still an aspiration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a celebration of women who had worked hard to secure this basic item for their families. |
| Here is a collection of photographs showing how individuals and governments observed the day, which is observed on March 8 every year. | Here is a collection of photographs showing how individuals and governments observed the day, which is observed on March 8 every year. |