ICYMI: 3 Women’s Marches Planned In Tampa Bay Area

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — As thousands of women prepare to descend on Washington, D.C. this Saturday, to let the new presidential administration know where they stand on the issues, three local marches are in the works for those who cannot attend events in the nation’s capital.

All three events in the Tampa Bay area are set to coincide with the Jan. 21 Women’s March on Washington. Organizers of the national event and those planned at sites across the country say the “march is the first step towards unifying our communities, grounded in new relationships, to create change from the grassroots level up,” according to the national march's website. “We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society.”

The march movement was sparked by “the rhetoric of the past election cycle,” organizers say. That rhetoric “has insulted, demonized, and threatened my of us” and created communities that “are hurting and scared.”

The goal for the marches is to “send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights.”

The national march is set to begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Third Street in Washington, D.C., near the U.S. Capitol. As that march gets under way, organizers say 616 “Sister Marches” will take place elsewhere, involving more than 1.3 million participants.

In the Tampa Bay area, the following Sister Marches are planned:

• St. Petersburg – Marchers are setting up at Demens Landing Park on Bayshore Drive with a planned start time of noon on Jan. 21. Participants can register online and get more details on the event's website.
• Sarasota – The Women’s March of Empowerment is set to begin at the Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, at 10 a.m. More information can be found on the national event’s website.
• Sarasota – A Women’s March is also set to take place at noon starting at Bayfront Park on Island Park Drive. For more information, visit the Women’s March online.

To find out more about the movement or other marches planned across the country, visit Women’s March on Washington online.