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Donald Trump's inauguration finally took place on Friday, Jan. 20. The next day, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., and cities across the world to demonstrate their support for gender equality. There were many inspiring moments from the Women's March — not just speeches by well-known celebrities, but moments of sisterhood and solidarity among not-so-famous marchers. Who would have thought that a sea of pink pussy hats (complete with signs making fun of Trump's combover) could be such an emotional sight? (All of us, of course.)
The march began as an idea posted online after the election by retired attorney Teresa Shook: Why don't women gather in D.C. to protest Trump's inauguration? The idea, thankfully, exploded in popularity seemingly overnight, and after two months of planning, the march and hundreds of sister marches took place on Saturday — and most would probably agree that it was a success in terms of sheer numbers. I mean, they took place in 600 cities! Across all continents! That is a beautiful thing, and, even more importantly, an unforgettable thing.
There were a lot of inspiring moments during the marches, but here are the nine most inspiring to remember for decades to come.
1
The Message From Berlin
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem gave a speech full of powerful moments, but ironically, the most inspiring was from women marching in Berlin. "I was just talking to people from our many sister marches, including the one in Berlin, and they asked me to send a special message: 'We in Berlin know that walls don’t work,'" she said, referring to Trump's threats to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
2
"Run For ALL Women"
A group of four women, led by "Run for ALL Women" founder Alison Desir, ran 240 miles from New York City to D.C. for the Women's March.
3
The Punny Signs
Technically, the rally wasn't directed against Trump, but there were certainly plenty of signs poking fun at the new president. I'd say the amount of clever wordplay on display at the Women's March is inspirational on so many levels.
6
Cecile Richards' Speech
Unsurprisingly, the president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, gave a speech that will sway your opinion even if you already agree with her. "Reproductive rights are human rights,” Richards said, according to NBC Washington. “You need to know that starting this week Congress is going to be moving quickly to try to pass restrictions of reproductive access and we cannot let them. ... One of us can be dismissed, two of us can be ignored, but together we are a movement and we are unstoppable."
7
When Antarctica Joined In
Everyone got a little excited when researchers stationed in Antarctica's Paradise Bay joined in the Women's March via a tweet on Saturday afternoon.
8
Everything That Came Out Of Angela Davis' Mouth
Civil rights activist Angela Davis gave a passionate speech, which you can read in its entirety here. "Spreading xenophobia, hurling accusations of murder and rape and building walls will not erase history," she said. "No human being is illegal."
