My
Connecticut women are on the bus Florida,
how about you?
Michelle Bohmbach, left, of East Lyme and Maggie Costello,
right, of Mystic work on their signs while they and other women who will be
attending the Women's March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21 gather at Hot Rod
Cafe in New London on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, to create signs for the march.
(Dana Jensen/The Day)
Dena Whatley of Waterford works on her sign while she and
other women who will be attending the Women's March in Washington, D.C., on
Jan. 21 gather at Hot Rod Cafe in New London on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, to
create signs for the march. (Dana Jensen/The Day)
Published
January 14. 2017 5:18PM | Updated January 14. 2017 11:15PM
By
Judy Benson Day staff writer
j.benson@theday.com
™ BensonJudy
New
London
In
large red, blue and black capital letters on white poster board, Maggie
Costello spelled out one of the messages she hopes to convey at the Women’s
March on Washington, D.C., next Saturday: “UNITE THE STATES OF AMERICA.”
“We
want the new establishment to know how we feel about Donald Trump’s treatment
of women and minorities, and that we want justice and human rights to be
protected,” the Mystic resident said, as she and about 20 others used
bold-colored paints and magic markers to create posters they will carry at the
event, organized for the day after inauguration day by groups concerned about
the president-elect’s agenda. “We’re just doing our small part.”
Across
the table, her friend Michelle Bohmbach of East Lyme worked on a sign that read
“And Justice for All.” A $50 donation from William Kane of Quaker Hill paid for
the poster board, paints and markers.
“We
want to send a positive message,” Bohmbach said.
The
Saturday afternoon of poster making took place in the basement of Hot Rod Café,
where owner Rod Cornish was doing some final tallying for a bus he had
organized for the march.
Marchers
coming from across the country will be arriving on more than 1,200 charter
buses, joining thousands more coming by car, air and train to the nation's
capital for what could be the largest ever post-inauguration demonstration,
according to organizers. Cornish, Costello, Bohmbach and more than 100 others
will be traveling to the nation’s capital on two buses leaving from New London,
while other southeastern Connecticut groups will be traveling on buses from
Waterford and Norwich.
Bohmbach
said several of her friends who can’t attend the Washington, D.C., event are
planning to attend sister marches the same day in Hartford and Boston. More
than 250 other sister marches are planned worldwide.
“We
want to celebrate diversity, and we want to be taken seriously,” she said.
Like
some others in the group, this would be Costello and Bohmbach’s first time
participating in a political demonstration. But even those with past experience
aren’t regulars at these kinds of events.
“The
last time I did this was against the war in Vietnam,” said Charlotte Schroeder
of New London, who will be traveling on the bus leaving from the downtown
sports bar and restaurant. “I’m doing this for my grandchildren, and for my
mother, who was a real champion of women’s rights, and for my aunt, who’s 97.
I’m very concerned about the Affordable Care Act, even though I have Medicare.
I’m concerned for my family and other people, and I’m really afraid about Roe
v. Wade,” the Supreme Court ruling that established abortion rights.
Stonington
resident Judith Hanratty, 69, will be going to the march with her daughter Kara
Mignosa and 13-year-old granddaughter Quinn Mignosa, both of Noank.
Locals
among thousands heading to D.C. for Women’s March
“I knew I had to do something,” she said. “I marched for women’s
rights in the '80s, but I never thought I’d be doing this again.”
Nicole McDonald, a 16-year-old from Montville, also will be
part of a multi-generational family group attending the march. Crafting a sign
that said “MAKE AMERICA THINK AGAIN,” a play on the president-elect’s
campaign slogan, she explained why she wants to be part of the march.
“I want to celebrate women’s rights and diversity,” she said.
“The president-elect doesn’t stand up for that, so we have to take a stand
against him.”
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