There was constant beeping along Mayor Magrath Drive North in Lethbridge, Saturday afternoon. But the drivers weren’t laying down the horn in frustration, they were honking in support of people like Eya Grey, who is transgender, and standing up for her rights.
“This obviously is a pretty important thing to me because I need to represent trans women to let people know we’re women too,” Grey said.
Elisabeth Pfeffel, a 94-year-old woman, says she’s never attended something like this. She says Donald Trump turned her into an activist.
“He made me,” Pfeffel said. “I’m very angry at this man since he’s so terrible and nasty to everybody.”
The gathering, dubbed “Women’s March on Washington” is one of over 600 that took place simultaneously around the world. The purpose is to fight for not just women’s rights, but minority groups all together. Hundreds turned out for the demonstration in Lethbridge.
“It’s heartening to know that people care,” Katherine Culley, women’s rights activist, said.
“It’s the best turn out for any sort of activist grouping I’ve attended,” Jane Edmundson said.
The turnout didn’t surprise co-organizer Shannan Little.
“Lethbridge has a long history of coming together in support of the common good,” Little said. “While I’m overwhelmed, I’m actually not surprised at Lethbridge.”
Pfeffel says this is the happiest she’s been in a while.
“I’m happy I did it the first time.”