Over 1,000 protesters gathered in Boston Common for Women’s March: People’s March Boston 2025 Jan. 18 with a collective mood that most wouldn’t anticipate in the wake of Trump’s reelection.
It was hope — not hidden behind a veneer of anger or defeat, but out in the open for all to see.
Last November, another women’s march coordinated by organizer Tracy Murphy took place in Boston Common. The message in 2024 was clear: these protesters would return in January if Trump was reelected. This time around, the New England Independence Campaign saw a need and decided to fill it, bringing in activists of all ages.
Despite the protesters’ general disdain for President-elect Donald Trump, morale was high with empowering speeches and spirited live music.
The march began with several speakers, from Planned Parenthood representatives to Boston City Council members, all with a message of hope and a call to action for the upcoming administration.Known for his antagonizing language, sexual assault allegations and suspected support of Project 2025, many Americans fear the daunting political implications of a second Trump term.
(Devyn Rudnick)
“What I learned eight years ago is that the system is not going to save us. The system is what got us into this trouble. But what will save us is community,” said Felicia Jadczak, co-founder of the workplace diversity, equity and inclusion initiative Inclusion Geeks. “A lot of us feel tired, but this is the most critical time to dig in and resist — dissent is patriotic.”
Kicking off at 11 a.m., speakers touched on issues ranging from LGBTQ+ protections to reproductive health care.
Tre’Andre Carmel Valentine, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, shared that he remains optimistic amid his concerns.
“They may take away my rights, but they will never have my joy, or my hope or my dreams for the future,” Valentine said.
Valentine said he aspires to live in a world “where trans youth and elders live vibrantly and mobilize ourselves toward collective liberation.”
He concluded with a rallying cry.
“In this moment, I dare us and encourage us to dream, and dream bigger than we ever have,” Valentine said.
Impending anxieties over Trump’s upcoming time in office still loomed over the crowd. The rally was a delicate balance of hope and outrage.
“I’d say I’m going back and forth between feeling afraid and petrified and sad, and also hopeful that as a community, we can make some meaningful impact and change,” said Lauren Slingluff, a librarian from Canterbury, Connecticut.
At the top of protesters’ minds was Trump taking credit for overturning the protections of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and his ambiguous stance on a national abortion ban in his 2024 campaign.
Influencer and “Pro Choice Podcast” host Whitney Shanahan spoke about her personal miscarriage experience. In 2019, Shanahan faced an episode of complications and sought emergency care. Rather than administering said care, doctors immediately went on the defensive, Shanahan said, suggesting that she had somehow “done something” to end her pregnancy.
“I went back from the ER that day still bleeding, shaking, leaking fluids, scared,” Shanahan said. “In that moment, my life changed forever.”
At the time, Shanahan said she was living in an unnamed red state that was working toward passing a six-week abortion ban. She impassioned the crowd as she explained that her experience taught her that the criminalization of abortion and the criminalization of miscarriage are one and the same.
Most attendees said they felt an obligation to attend the march, feeling certain freedoms slipping away in light of a second Trump presidency.
“When Trump won the election back in 2016, I lived in Arizona and I didn’t do anything to resist,” said Erika Jackson, a transgender woman and advocate for the community. “Now, I feel like I have no choice. I need to step up and do something to resist, something to fight for my rights.”
From 2016 onward, Jackson observed a noticeable upswing in radical conservatism and anti-trans rhetoric in her home state.
“I ended up having to leave for safety,” she said. “I just don’t ever want to see Massachusetts turn into Arizona.”
Upon moving to the South End, Jackson emphasized the sense of community she found in Boston, and the power of collective resistance.
Palpable enthusiasm to support one another through the next four years radiated through the speeches, chants and signs reading, “Support a woman’s right to choose” and “Only weak men fear strong women.”
“I’m not currently at risk of becoming pregnant or having to get medical care for pregnancy,” Slingluff said. “I’m not a trans individual. I’m not a person of color. So with my privilege, I’ve been feeling a lot of responsibility to do what I can to support others.”
In the interest of keeping spirits high, a local band, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, or BABAM, rattled off jazzy tunes like “This Little Light of Mine” for dancing crowd members.
Palpable enthusiasm to support one another through the next four years radiated through the speeches, chants and signs reading, “Support a woman’s right to choose” and “Only weak men fear strong women.”
“I’m not currently at risk of becoming pregnant or having to get medical care for pregnancy,” Slingluff said. “I’m not a trans individual. I’m not a person of color. So with my privilege, I’ve been feeling a lot of responsibility to do what I can to support others.”
In the interest of keeping spirits high, a local band, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, or BABAM, rattled off jazzy tunes like “This Little Light of Mine” for dancing crowd members.
Protesters adorned in pink knit hats then rallied behind emcee Casi Kristant, who invited everyone to “go for a walk around the Commons” with her. With signs held high and the steady rhythms of BABAM, the large crowd snaked through the park, steadily chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”
Protesters were all smiles as they marched to the Parkman Bandstand, a monument in the Boston Common, where everyone gathered once more.
The crowd danced a final time as BABAM rounded off the afternoon. Even as protesters prepared for another four years under Trump, they expressed that they’re not defeated or muted with sorrow, but invigorated knowing they have the power to make change.
