Organizers of the Women's March on Washington are assuring those that are planning to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 21 that the march is indeed still on.
After what was described as an "inaccurate" article by local Washington, D.C. news outlet WTOPreported Monday that march preparations had hit a "roadblock" because several other groups had already submitted applications to hold an event on the National Mall that day, organizer Janaye Ingram clarified on the march's Facebook page that the protest would still occur--though likely in an alternate, though nearby, location.
More than 120,000 people have already indicated on Facebook that they are planning on attending.
To those who have already made their plans, Ingram said, "I want to reassure you that we do have permit applications in and have been meeting with the permitting agencies."
"While our early plans announced that we would be rallying at the Lincoln Memorial, those plans changed and our updated rally site is another location in the city that will accommodate our numbers," Ingram explained. "We will not be releasing the location information at this time because we are still in the permitting process and need to ensure that all of our logistics are in place."
"No one needs to change their flights," Ingram told WTOP for a follow-up piece published Tuesday. "The march and rally are happening."
Ingram said that the organizers are working with the Department of Homeland Security, and D.C. Police, among other entities due to the security concerns around the Capital.
"We have a location that we believe will be the actual site for the rally," she said. "We're waiting for the Presidential Inaugural Committee to see what events they may have that may, for whatever reason, make us change our plans."
Organizers are expecting a number of "high-profile speakers and big-name entertainers to be part of the program," the Associated Pressreported on Wednesday.
The march will send "a big message visually for people in our communities to stand up against this administration and say that women will lead us, women will protect our communities," said Linda Sarsour, national co-chair of the march and executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. "That's really the vision that we have for this march."
For more information and updates, visit the march's Facebook page.
