Women’s March organizers have been arrested in New York while protesting in honor of Day Without a Woman.
Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez and Bob Bland were among the 13 people arrested for civil disobedience and blocking traffic while protesting outside a Trump hotel. They were with a crowd of about one thousand people, many of whom were women.
“Today, the national leaders of the Women’s March gathered with allies and those participating in the day’s actions for a show of solidarity and revolutionary love,” a representative for the organization told The Hollywood Reporter.
“After a peaceful protest in New York City in honor of A Day Without a Woman, 13 organizers and supporters were arrested by the New York City Police Department in an act of civil disobedience outside of Trump International Hotel & Towers.”
The official Women’s March Twitter page also confirmed the arrest with photos. “We are not sure what precinct we are being taken to at the moment. But we are together, reSisters #DayWithoutAWoman,” read one of the Tweets.
Thanks to the worldwide success of the Women’s March on Jan. 21, these Women’s March organizers planned a follow-up strike to mark International Women’s Day and to demonstrate the vital role women play in American society.
Although the movement gained momentum in reaction to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and comments on women, the strike was planned way before the Trump administration. In fact, inspiration for this event came from the International Women’s Day events that often take place outside of the United States.
As New York continues to rally on Fifth Avenue, various schools across the nation have also joined the strike. Schools in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina have canceled classes after hundreds of teachers and employees informed the administration that they’d be taking the day off in solidarity.
And many students – from elementary school to college – have taken it upon themselves to organize rallies on their campuses.
Hundreds of students at Madison East High School in Wisconsin even staged a walk out to show their support.
And for those who could not afford to skip work or classes to join the rallies, they were encouraged to wear red, refrain from shopping and to donate to organizations that fight for women’s rights.
