Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 | 2 a.m.
In solidarity with the throngs set to rally at the Women’s March on Washington Saturday, hundreds are expected to take to the streets of downtown Las Vegas to demand equal rights, not just for women — but for everyone, according to an event organizer.
A manifesto penned decades ago insisted on demands such as equal pay, child care and women's reproductive rights, said Jean Green, one of the local march organizers. “If you look at that list, we really haven’t gotten far.”
On Saturday, demonstrators will make that message clear. Organizers have asked those attending to gather at the Llama Lot, 152 N. 9th St., by 11 a.m. Participants will march a half-mile to the George Federal Building on Las Vegas Boulevard, where speakers will address the crowd.
The march is not a protest but a pro-women's and human rights event, organizers have said. And to ensure there is a peaceful environment, locals have coordinated with police and city officials, said Green, 33, who won't see her efforts play out here Saturday as she'll accompany a Nevada delegation to Washington.
The national movement’s website says the D.C. event, which was scheduled for the day after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office, “will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office and to the world that women’s rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.”
In Washington, expected crowds Saturday could draw more people than Friday's presidential inauguration, according to a Washington Post story that warned commuters about traffic around the National Mall.
In Southern Nevada, nearly 3,000 people have pledged to attend on the event’s Facebook page.
Although Green's history of volunteering for political causes dates back to 2008, she said her efforts to organize this event were especially intense.
Amid the all-nighters over the past week, she said she's gained "so many skills that I didn't have before." Green and Deborah Harris worked with many other local activists to make the march come to fruition.
Green sees the event as a way to pass the torch from iconic past champions of the cause to younger generations. "They've taken us this far and we have to go the rest of the way."
For more information on Saturday's event, visit here.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy