Amid a weekend that was characterized by a rally visited by members of the Proud Boys and the exorcism of a vandalized statue paying homage to a controversial 18th-century priest, Saturday’s Women's March in San Francisco offered some welcomed hope for a more inclusive, rational future.

Since the first march was held on January 21, 2017 — the day after the inauguration of President Trump — the global event has remained a regular calendar happening for social activism over the past four years. For the fall of 2020, "socially distant actions" were held all over the world to harness the political power of diverse women, and their communities, to build the transformative social change that will ripple for generations to come. (Though in recent years, the group’s Unity Principles have expanded to be more inclusive and gender-fluid to account for non-binary individuals who, too, want to join in on the displays.)

Yesterday, October 17,  thousands across the country descended upon regional city halls, popular streets, and public spaces to denounce Trump, systemic racism, and the oppression of women in this country... and across the world.

“Women’s rights are on the line during this election and it’s imperative that we vote,” said 18-year-old march attendee Tiana Day, a frequent protester and founder of the non-profit Youth Advocates for Change, to the Chronicle. Next to her, per the newspaper, was former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim — who's also frequented past Women's Marches and advocated for the equal treatment of women throughout her time in office.

The SF Women's March lead rally members from Civic Center Plaza on McAllister Street to the Embarcadero Center, filling the streets with timely signage and chants against fascism and the erasure of not only women's rights, but those of marginalized communities.

ABC7 shows countless people holding up pro-choice signs, with many also honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — and criticizing the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Both young and old could be seen supporting Black Lives Matter and other human rights initiatives.

Everyone was wearing masks and practicing social distancing when possible. And as we've learned prior: large public protests (where demonstrators don masks and try to keep a safe distance from one another) don't lead to COVID-19 spikes in the regions they're held.

Check out more images from the Women's March in San Francisco over the weekend, below:


San Francisco

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Photos: More Than 100,000 Attend Women's March In San Francisco As City Hall Lights Up Pink

Image: Twitter via @frankedson24