March for Racial Justice and March for Black Women

Black Women First!

Black Women First!

Shouted several thousand people as they marched up Pennsylvania Ave. from the Capitol on September 30. They were leading two marches, which started at two different points on Capital Hill before joining to march to the Department of Justice on 10th St. There they planned to turn south to go to the Mall. One was the March for Racial Justice, which took place in several different cities around the country. The other was the March for Black Women, which was specific to DC.

At the Justice Department, the march paused while black women gathered at a corner with the signs of women they said had been harmed by police actions. There, speakers called out their names and demanded justice.

Instead of turning toward the Mall, the marchers continued two more blocks to the Trump International Hotel. Built in the 1890s, it was known as the Old Post Office until leased to a Trump holding company for 60 years. It has become a popular place to protest since being transformed into the Trump Hotel. The front plaza was blocked off with barricades, limiting protestors to very little space other than the street. Here the marchers stopped to kneel.

Most of the marchers proceeded down 12th St. to the Mall.

From there they went to the rally stage at 7th St. while some peeled off to leave. The rally was preceded by an hour of musical entertainment while about two thousand people lounged on the grass, danced to the music, and sold buttons and t-shirts.