Women’s March allies join forces in Mérida

Merida Solidarity Trump
Photo: Yucatán Expat Life

Mérida, Yucatán — At the very spot a Hillary victory party went awry on Nov. 8, a meet-up of likeminded allies returned in a show of solidarity with today’s Women’s March on Washington. 

Millions of women gathered in Washington and cities around the U.S. today to counter Friday’s presidential inauguration. Cities from Los Angeles to Boston were filled with demonstrators. Even Park City, Utah, saw celebrities from the Sundance Film Festival join a march on snowy streets, the Washington Post reported.

Photo: Marilia Villarreal Varza

Over 600 “sister” marches were planned worldwide, including 15 in Mexico, said one of the organizers, Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado.

On social media, reports appeared of Méridanos and expats joining the protests from coast to coast. As for U.S. voters and their friends still in Yucatán, Hennessy’s Irish Pub proved to be a suitable gathering place after city officials hesitated to issue a permit to organize in a park. 

Trump Solidarity Merida
Photo: Yucatán Expat Life

The roughly 500 participants didn’t march or follow a program of activities. The centerpiece of the three-hour gathering was a large banner on which visitors were invited to write an inscription supporting compassion, dignity and human rights — values some feel are in danger under the Donald Trump administration.

Staying upbeat, the midday gathering stressed “our support for Mexico,” van der Gracht de Rosado wrote on her blog. “We want the people of Mexico to know that we appreciate their hospitality and kindness. We do not support anti-Mexico rhetoric or bullying.”

Women's March Merida
Photo: Yucatán Expat Life
Merida Trump Solidarity
Photo: Yucatán Expat Life
Photo: Marilia Villarreal Varza
In Mérida, a gathering in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington brings together like-minded people a day after President Donald Trump was sworn in. Photo: Marilia Villarreal Varza

Read More