By Becky Gillette – Eureka Springs was well represented in the Women’s March Saturday, Jan. 21, in Little Rock, a protest in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington that attracted more people that the presidential inauguration the day before. The march spawned protests not just across the U.S., but on all seven continents. Even Anarctica.
Pat Costner estimated that several dozen people from Eureka Springs marched in Little Rock. “I was so happy to see Eureka had such a large representation at the march,” she said. “It is hard to put into words what an experience like that is like. In a word, it was empowering. There were lots of young women and men carrying signs expressing sentiments I agree with. Seeing that many people show up in Little Rock convinces me we can have a government in Arkansas and this country that serves the people.”
Costner said one of the biggest issues of concern expressed was the new administration’s denial of climate change, which has led to worldwide concern. “The whole world is watching this and the primary reaction has been some form of horror because of what it could mean for the whole planet,” she said.
Jillian Guthrie said she went to the march because a lot of things being proposed that she finds alarming and incongruent to what she has always been taught and understands America to be.
“For example we are a ‘melting pot,’” said Guthrie, who marched with her mother, Betty Scott. “That’s civics from elementary school, and it was taught as a point of pride. I wanted to add my voice, my energy and my intention to the other millions of people who still hold that dear as a foundational aspect of America’s history. Guthrie said she hasn’t felt that bonded to other humans many times in her 47 years. “We were all color-, gender-, sexuality-, and socioeconomically-blinded by the experience, and I for one would love to find a way for us to see through that lens 24/7.”
John Rankine expected a small crowd and was surprised the crowd that was so large it was hard to find others from Eureka he had planned to march with. “Like everybody, I was shocked at the size of it,” he said. “I was just so glad to be part of this global demonstration that said, ‘No, we are not going to do this.’ I didn’t realize how global it was until after the act. I was blown away that people in my native Toronto, Canada, were demonstrating. I heard Bentonville had seven hundred people show up.
“I think it was a wake-up call to this country, for sure, and to the world. I was so moved. It was inspiring. I’m also excited about the grassroots movements that are happening lately like Indivisible Eureka Springs and efforts to get a Democratic Party back on track here in Carroll County, something that hasn’t happened here in a long time.”
Nancy Paddock, one of the organizers of Indivisible Eureka Springs, said the signs at the Little Rock rally showed a wide range of political interests. “It was amazing to be there. Everyone was hopeful we could make a difference. It was a very positive event. One of the organizers, Darby Wallace, said when they started, they thought they might get thirty to forty people. Instead, it was estimated at 6,000 to 7,000. People were saying it was the largest march in Little Rock since the Civil Rights era.”
Faith Shah was encouraged by how many men attended the Women’s March, perhaps three out of ten.
“It was a real positive vibe,” she said. “People really did try to keep it positive. The objective was to guard our healthcare, education, equal rights and the environment. The organizers did an amazing job and the speakers were really inspiring. The most important thing to know is we are not just going to march. We are going to act. The Indivisible Eureka Group is forming. It is real. It is not going away. We’re only going to get stronger and smarter.”
Trella Laughlin mentioned how many non-white attendees there were, including an African-American woman with a sign saying, “Now you’ve pissed off grandma.”
Harrie Farrow went both to a “stand-in” protesting the inauguration in Fayetteville on Friday and the Women’s March Saturday. “The stand-in in Fayetteville was attended in much greater numbers than the organizers expected,” she said. “The theme was to counteract hate with love, and most signs carried that message. There were people of all ages, babies, preteens, lots of college kids and professors and grandmothers. There were quite a lot of men there, too. The cars driving by honked in solidarity way more often than I would have expected in Fayetteville. A few times passersby did yell things like, ‘He’s still your president’ or ‘You lost. Get over it.’ Other than that, I didn’t see any signs of the other side, which was also surprising.”
Farrow said it was much the same in Little Rock, where she saw no anti protesters, the crowd was varied, and the size much larger than expected. “In Little Rock there were more signs that expressed anger, fear, frustration than in Fayetteville. But, again, the situation was very peaceful, family oriented and almost no signs of police or security. The speakers in Little Rock were very impactful and there was a wonderful message of inclusiveness, to fight together for all the issues at stake. I also went to some of the workshops after the march. The messages there were all about how to be effective in actions, about not letting up, and again about being inclusive of all the causes that are endangered by the new administration.”