ANGELA B. PAN

On October 17th, Washington DC held the 2020 Women’s March. I’m grateful to have been able to attend since my first one in 2017. A lot has changed since then. First of all, the women’s march in 2017 was in January and I remember it being pretty cold. People were walking on an icy reflecting pool and I even witnessed some people falling through the cracks. I remember crowds of people standing by the Lincoln Memorial but no one had any concern of social distancing or face masks. This was my first time attending anything like it before and I did not know much about protest/march/event photography.

For the 2020 March, I felt a lot more comfortable approaching people with my camera and I realize how my images speak louder than words. I tried my best to get unique angles while focusing on the crowd but concentrated on details that could be easily overlooked.

In general, it felt like this group of people wanted their voices heard and they were not going to back down from anything. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed a month prior to the march and soon after there was already a supreme court justice nominated as a replacement. These women were vocal about reproductive rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, and more.

The March started at Freedom Plaza with a kickoff rally and starting point for everyone to meet. Most everyone I saw there was wearing a face mask.

Before I knew it, everyone around me started forming into a line and somehow I ended up being at the very front of it. It was so cool how everyone just came together so quickly.

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This past Saturday, I attended my first ‘real’ demonstration. I say real demonstration because I was also attended the presidential inauguration last year.  I dunno if that counts or not but I’m counting it as a half because it was sort like half an inauguration half a protest.  And exactly one year later, I’m at the DC Women’s March of 2018.

I didn’t really know what to expect since this was my first real one. With my experience last year at the inauguration I just knew I wanted to go early, wear good walking shoes and stay warm. Luckily the weather was beautiful this past weekend and the perfect day to celebrate women.

So here are a few of the images I captured at the DC Women’s March 2018:

I did it! I walked on the reflecting pool! Until I heard a slight crack noise and I was gone at the blink of an eye.

Participants in the Women’s March near the Reflecting Pool

From the top of the Lincoln Memorial stairs

to the bottom of the steps. It was undeniable that these people wanted their voices heard.

Standing tall, even in trees.

As the day went on, more and more people braved the icy reflecting pool.  But with 60 degree temperatures, it was melting fast. I even saw a couple of people fall through the cracks.

There was even a guy with his bike on the frozen water.

Overall I left the demonstration feeling proud to be a woman. I feel like there’s nothing that I can’t do and no one is going to tell me otherwise. It gave me more motivation to want to accomplish my goals and make my stamp on the world. I heard there were over 10,000 people in attendance and I’m honored that I was one of them.