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Here it was. 2020 and there was an election coming. An election that could change America again. So once more I made my way to Pershing Square in Down Town Los Angeles to document our 4th Women's March. I was full of hope that this might be even bigger than the goliath that we had experienced in 2017. It made sense to hope for such because our 45th president was in deep trouble, having been impeached shortly before this event. He had enraged so many groups in his tenure as Chief Executive that I felt this could be huge.

However, as I approached the crowd it was noticeably smaller than in previous years. The eventual cheering that came in response to the March's organizers was hearty but not the massive roar I had heard in the three previous marches.

Still it was a big crowd, full of dissatisfied and articulate people of both sexes and multiple classes.

Most of the Protest signs were homemade and clever. Pink hats were prevalent and the spirit of camaraderie was everywhere. Second Wave to Fourth Wave feminists mixed happily in mutual support.

For an explanation of waves of feminism see this lovely Wikipedia Entry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_feminism



There was some anger in the crowd but most folks seemed terribly happy and exuding that congregational bliss that comes when we stand up in the morass and see others that feel as we do , when we see our fellow moral tribesman and can't help but grin.

It was Women Church.

Trump was there in the crowd in every sign displayed. He has continued to be the catalyst for this movement's formation and it's continuance.

Anti Choice protesters attempted to disrupt with Very Tall Signs and a bullhorn or two but were contained by Women's March peace keepers and the LAPD.

The national movement has been going through changes resulting in three of the founders leaving the board of directors. Their departures were due to remarks or alliances with the BDS movement or pro Palestinian, anti Zionist political stances. Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam also had a major role in the argument.

Farrakhan's antisemitic, trans - homophobic remarks and antipathy towards interracial couples helped fuel a rift between Muslim and Zionist factions in the Women's March movement in 2019.

The Nation of Islam has a security branch called The Fruit of Islam which offers neighborhood security groups that have successfully cleaned up in some of America's most violent and once drug ridden communities. This and other community outreach efforts extending from NOI have cemented a loyalty among some contemporary civil rights leaders despite Farrakhan's divisive rhetoric.

The exits from the board were reportedly handled in an amicable fashion.



Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland and Linda Sarsour's terms have expired along with other board members and have been replaced by 17 new people.

Also, Zahra Billoo, a lawyer and executive director of the San Francisco chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) was one of the 17 new board members but was removed from the board two days later.

The Womens March issued this statement.

“Zahra Billoo has been removed from board membership effective immediately,” “We found some of her public statements incompatible with the values and mission of the organization. Women’s March will continue to build an inclusive and effective movement that holds space for all women.”

Ballo had previously issued several controversial tweets.

“Zionism is the violent ideology responsible for the genocide and displacement of indigenous Palestinians and the destruction of Palestinian land.”

“Blaming Hamas for firing rockets at [Apartheid] Israel is like blaming a woman for punching her rapist.”

The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued this statement; "Fair criticism of any government and its policies, including Israel, is an important aspect of democracy. But outright rejecting Jewish nationhood and singling out solely the Jewish state with inflammatory and virulent rhetoric is antisemitic, plain and simple."



Also, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles was not invited to participate in the final stage event due to similar criticisms.

There were however plenty of Black Lives Matter folks of various ethnicities in this fourth Los Angeles Women's March.

To see some of the accomplishments of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles …...

https://www.blmla.org/

This link is a list of politcal victories in Los Angeles.

https://www.blmla.org/organize#our-victories

Another division was evident in some of protest graphics which addressed the stance of "trans-exclusionary radical feminists" or TERF's who do not accept transwomen as female. Wikipedia has an excellent history of this rift.

Wikipedia entry on “ Feminist views on transgender topics “

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_views_on_transgender_topics#Early_history_(before_1989)

So the crowd was smaller but everyone seemed to be in sync with the original goal, to defeat Donald J. Trump.

The march progressed down the same route taken in the previous marches: down Hill to First, ending up in front of City Hall.

The March ended at Peoples Park in front of City Hall. A diapered Baby Donald was flown over the crowd, while Seal belted out “ A Change is Gonna Come “. Maxine Waters spoke for a few minutes about the impeachment proceedings and Kaitlin Jenner spoke towards the end about trans inclusion.

The crowd was euphoric.

Mothers, fathers and their daughters were everywhere. Once again this City of Sprawling Bedroom Communities spoke with the rest of an enraged national electorate.

There were at least four people running for election and political organizing groups were prevalent.

I hope it can last past our 45th president's tenure.

Maybe we should make it a national holiday.



Robert Stuart Lowden

January 20th, 2020

Los Angeles. CA

There are 140 shots from the Women's March this Year. I have taken lot's of portraits and shots that try to show you feelings and not crowd shots or distant voyeuristic shots of signs.

Thankyou.