Aspen National People’s March slated for Jan. 18

The Pitkin County Democrats are organizing the 10th annual National People’s March on Jan. 18.

Those who wish to attend the event, formely known as the Women’s March, are encouraged to meet at noon at the Gondola Plaza, 675 E. Durant Ave., and the march will begin at 12:20 p.m.

Pitkin County Dem Chair Betty Wallach said the march will go through town and end at Paepcke Park, where a Women’s Speaker Event will then take place at 1 p.m.

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“We have two events this year,” Wallach said. “We had the Women’s Ski event, which we stopped about three years ago. Now, we have the National People’s March and the Women’s Speaker Event.”

She said this year’s theme is “We Won’t Go Back!”

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“Nothing has changed about the threat to women’s reproductive rights and women’s reproductive health,” she said. “We will have a group of all-women speakers during the second event, who will speak for four to seven minutes each about this year’s theme, ‘We Won’t Go Back!,’ at Paepcke Park after the march.”

Speakers will include women from Response Aspen, an organization that works with people in the community to end domestic and sexual abuse; Cobalt, which focuses on protecting reproductive rights; a survivor of sexual assault will speak; Food Insecurity, where the speaker will focus on the threat posed by Trump to cut SNAP and Medicaid benefits. Wallach said an invitation has been sent to Planned Parenthood and expects around seven to eight speakers.

“We want people to bring family-friendly signs only,” she said. “I have 32 suggestions for family-friendly signs, which can be found on our website.”

The 32 suggestions for family-friendly sign ideas can be found at pitkindems.com. Such suggestions include, “Not your body; not your choice,” “So bad, even introverts are here,” “Hell hath no fury like 157 million women scorned,” and Wallach’s personal favorite, “We are not OVARY-Acting.”

“The Women’s Speaker Event will end around 2:30 or 3 p.m., and it is going to be cold standing out there,” she said. “I suggest that people bring hand warmers, which I certainly do, and those toe warmers in their boots, too, which I certainly do.”

She said the timing of this event is appropriate because it is two days before President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. 

Rachel Bechhoefer, first vice chair for the Pitkin County Dems, said she is excited about the 10th annual event and the great women speakers they have lined up. 

“It’s really important for us to get out and have our voices heard and to protect our rights that are at risk by the incoming administration,” Bechhoefer said. “We are gathering together in solidarity because we have four tough years ahead of us.”