It was a modest but mighty showing of solidarity as Regina residents rallied together in support of Women’s Marches around the world.
Close to a dozen women and men hit the streets to the Legislative building to promote messages of love and unity.
“We’re just marching with our sisters and brothers to show that we promote love not hate. I think that’s a message that has spread widely around the world,” co-organizer Helen Primrose said.
It’s one of hundreds of marches taking place around the globe – the largest in Washington – where more than a million people are reported to have come out to send a message to the new Trump administration.
Heather Day attended the march with her child Isabelle, carrying a sign that read: “My mommy says that when I grow up that I can be anything I want to be… I’m going to be a #nasty woman.”
“After watching the news on the American election, I thought ‘well, Hillary is a good person to aspire to,’ and of course she’s that nasty woman,” she said.
Despite living in a progressive country like Canada, Day said inequality still exists.
“I’ve been lucky in my experiences so far, but have occasionally run into sexist remarks at work… We’re making progress, but there’s still a ways to go,” Day said.
Day said she hopes her daughter will continue to be that voice.
“Hopefully she will carry on standing up for women’s rights and minority rights,” she said.
NDP “Trumptalks”
Meanwhile at Tommy Douglas house, NDP leadership prospects were taking part in a panel discussion on Trump’s politics.
Quebec’s MP Guy Caron and BC MP Peter Julian said Trump’s election could be seen as a challenge to progressive politics in Canada.
“What it should serve to do for progressives right across North America is mobilize us together, so that we can fight back against the politics of increasing inequality and the politics of concentration of wealth, everything that Mr. Trump represents,” Julian said.
But according to Julian and Caron, Trump’s victory could also be a lesson and may require a revamping of the NDP’s strategy.
“In that sense, what we are seeing in the U.S. is a way for us to go back to 2015 election and try to change our ways of approaching politics, maybe be less policy-driven in some sense,” Caron said.
“Not that policies aren’t important but more to what connects us to Canadians in general,” Caron added.