International Women’s Day was this Wednesday, March 8th, and hundreds flocked to Lower Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley to march in solidarity for the emancipation of women, and issues pertaining to the local community. Berkeley is known for its activist culture, harking back to the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s, and the demonstration on Wednesday was no exception to this trend.
The march started around 11:30 and people of all ages, men, women, and children, from the university and from the larger Berkeley community wore red, the color of International Women’s Day, and carried pre-made signs with slogans such as “Expect Resistance” and “Feminism without intersectionality is just white supremacy”. Music blared from loud speakers and individuals made speeches in both English and Spanish.
It was clear that the movement was not just for the cause of women’s rights, as demonstrators emphasized the importance of recognizing intersectionality, a system of overlapping issues of discrimination and disadvantage. Among the issues of contention were LGBT rights, rights to public education, freedom of religion, immigration in the face of threats of deportation, police brutality, and race relations.
But International Women’s Day did not end there, as many students took to social media to express their sentiments and recognize influential women in their lives.
André C. Luu, current Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) External Affairs Vice President, made this post in honor of his grandmother:
This International Women’s Day was full of love, support, and great moments. It’s always a great day to celebrate the beauty and strength of being a woman.