Morristown Hosts a Pink Hat March

Have you heard of the Pink Hat March? It was a huge protest started last year and repeated again this year on January 20th. Last year there were observations of the march in towns and cities all over the country. Protests were held in New York City and Washington as two major areas. But this year there was also a protest in Morristown!

   The Women’s March (or Pink Hat March) was created to send a message, but what message and why? According to the Women’s March official website, the main purpose of the Women’s March is, “to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change” (womensmarch.com 1).  This is basically saying that they want equality and justice for everybody. The webpage then continues on to say how the Women’s March organization is fighting for more than just women’s rights but for many causes, such as anti-violence, workers rights, and environmental justice. The marches last year displayed signs that targeted areas like those mentioned and more. One example was a common chant that went like so, “Show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like.” This chant is common at protests because the right to protest is under the first amendment in our democracy. Overall, the march’s main purpose was to demonstrate the rights of American citizens.

Many important things happened at the march in Morristown. It started at 11 a.m. in front of town hall, where, according to Mayor Dougherty, 15,000 protesters gathered. One of the first speakers was Elizabeth Meyer, she organized last year’s march in Trenton and this year’s Morristown demonstration. Meyer said how America needs a table of equality, where all groups voices are heard. Then Mayor Dougherty spoke. He urged for the necessity for us to unite and push forward for the good of all. One of the main attractions was Governor Phil Murphy’s speech on The Green. He said, quote, “We are not going anywhere…” and expressed an appreciation for the diversity, pride and courage shown at the march.

In all, the march was a great way to emphasize “Power to The Polls”, which was this year’s theme. And, can you believe there were so many people in Morristown?

References:

“Our Mission.” Women’s March, www.womensmarch.com/mission/

Wright, Peggy. “Women’s March 2018 to Descend on Morristown in January.” Daily Record, Morristown Daily Record, 28 Dec. 2017, www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/27/womens-march-2018-descend-morristown-january/984281001/.