They voted against Trump. Now tens of thousands plan to march throughout California after he takes office

By Colleen Shalby

Jan. 19, 2017 1:20 PM PT

The day after Donald Trump was declared the president-elect, the distraught found solace in the depths of Facebook.

It was in the invite-only secret group Pantsuit Nation, where millions of Hillary Clinton supporters gathered throughout the campaign, and where the idea, particularly among women, to march on Washington one day after Trump’s inauguration first percolated.

Now hundreds of thousands plan to descend on Washington Saturday, and thousands more will participate in more than 600 sister marches in every state across the U.S. and more than 50 countries around the world, including Mexico and Canada. In the most populous state of California, where Hillary Clinton beat Trump by more than 4.2 million votes, tens of thousands plan to march in dozens of cities from San Diego to Eureka.

The goal of demonstrators will be to make their voices heard on a multitude of civil rights issues — encompassing race, gender, LGBT and communities of color — on the Trump administration’s first day, uniting under the motto: “Women’s rights are human rights.”

People are stepping up, saying, ‘If you take away immigrants’ rights, you’re taking away my rights.’

— Emiliana Guereca, organizer of the Los Angeles women’s march

In Los Angeles, Emiliana Guereca, an event planner and first-generation Mexican American, was searching for answers after Trump’s win. When she stumbled across the idea for a march in D.C., she reached out to organizers to offer to spearhead one in L.A.

“I think for L.A., based on phone calls and emails I have received, it’s unifying. People are stepping up, saying, ‘If you take away immigrants’ rights, you’re taking away my rights,’” Guereca said.

Guereca wasn’t sure if the march would gain much traction beyond her friends. But so far, more than 70,000 have signed up on Facebook to attend, and a lineup of speakers includes L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), among others. In the Bay Area, marches in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose are expected to draw a combined 73,000 participants. In San Diego, at least 19,000 plan to march, and in Sacramento, another 15,000.

For Renee McKenna, a spiritual therapist from San Francisco, attending was a no-brainer. She bought a plane ticket and began to rally others traveling the nearly 3,000 miles. But her plans quickly changed when she was asked to organize a solidarity march in San Francisco.

“I’ve done lots of things in my life, but I’ve never been a political organizer,” McKenna said.

Counter-demonstrations are nothing new to inaugurations. Most recently, Presidents Obama and George W. Bush faced protests on their Inauguration Days. But that was before social media redefined word-of-mouth and grassroots efforts, and before shouts and sentiment spilled over from the streets to Twitter feeds and Facebook statuses to the degree they do today.

In Orange County, an area that turned blue in the presidential election for the first time in 80 years, Nichole Ramirez, an employee of Planned Parenthood, planned to make the drive to the L.A march. But after talking with about 20 people online, she decided the O.C. should have its own event. There have been more than 3,000 RSVPs so far.

“The purpose of the march is to send a strong message to newly elected officials,” Ramirez said.

The Women’s March hasn’t been without problems. When the idea was launched in November, organizers were criticized over the event’s original name, the Million Women’s March, and uncertainty over whether proper permits would be granted in time. By the time Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte were named honorary co-chairs, organizers changed its name and diversified its leadership to bring in more people of color to be participants and organizers.

This really does feel like the birth of something.

— Renee McKenna, organizer of a women’s march in San Francisco

There are no concrete plans for action after the march, but organizers have a shared hope that the community and conversation fueled by the efforts will continue to grow.

“This really does feel like the birth of something,” McKenna said. “What it’s going to grow up to be is a question mark.”

And for some, like Guereca, it’s given rise to a new wave of feminism and activism in California and beyond.

“My biggest hope is that people continue to unify and that people continue to advocate for human rights.”