Fort Mill, Lake Wylie, Indian Land residents join thousands who demonstrated in Charlotte
While an estimated 500,000 people participated in Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington, a counterpoint to the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States the day before, thousands more attended the Women’s March on Charlotte.
The marchers in the Queen City included residents of Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Indian Land and Lake Wylie. Some of them responded to our request to email thoughts and photos and video and many participated in a real-time discussion of the event on our Facebook page.
“I attended the Women's March in Charlotte today with my 6 and 8 year-old daughters and friends,” Meg Drew of Fort Mill wrote in an email.
“It was so inspiring and truly gave me hope for the future and made me definitely feel that we are not nearly as divided as Mr. Trump would like us to think. We are much more united and coming together for the good of everyone.”
“We went with several Fort Mill families, and it felt like the world's biggest pep rally!”Cindy Carner said in an email. “You could hear the crowd roar from way down the street.”
York County resident Connie Driscoll Miller, 58, said she and friend Ellen Goff wanted to go to Washington, but couldn’t make it. When the Lake Wylie women learned about the march planned in Charlotte, family and friends joined them, including Miller’s 13-year-old granddaughter.
“I really didn’t expect that many people,” Miller said of the crowd in uptown, “including a lot of men.”
Miller said she went out in the damp morning for many reasons but mostly to make a public stand for equal rights.
“I’m concerned the new administration doesn’t support equality for women and other disadvantaged groups,” said Miller, an Army veteran, “but mostly I marched for my granddaughters, because I don’t want them to lose the rights and privileges we’ve fought so hard for.”
See more photos
Click here to see a gallery of photos from local residents who attended the Women’s March on Charlotte.
This story was originally published January 21, 2017 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Fort Mill, Lake Wylie, Indian Land residents join thousands who demonstrated in Charlotte."