Islander among the thousands to march in Washington

Roughly half a million people made their way to Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Women's March on Washington.

A wide range of participants from all walks of life came togetherto preserve and protect women's rights.

• Maritimers rally in support of Women's March on Washington

Among the hundreds of thousands in attendance was Heidi Rankin.

A former Islander now living in Denver, Colo., she worked with Women's Network P.E.I. and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women when she was on the Island.

'Sea of People'

"It was an amazing experiencing," Rankin said, speaking with CBCthe day after the march.

"It was just incredible to be in a sea of people who were there for justice and looking to move forward and make some fundamental changes. It was as empowering as you could imagine it would be."

The march was aresponse to the inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday, and what many of the protesters believe his administration represents concerning women's rights.

"Everybody's been feeling really heavy and really despondent and kind of concerned and worried," she said. "Feeling like 'how is it possible that we could be moving backwards in terms of things we've worked so hard for?'"

Diverse and different

Rankin has worked on women's issues for much of her life and was struck by the diversity in the crowd at the march.

"Very young women all the way to women who clearly have been doing this kind of social justice work forever. All the women of colour, the signs representing and stuff representing all the different issues and passions," she said.

It wasn't just the different groupsamong the women in the crowd that surprised her.

"I'm just so encouraged by the number of men who are right on the front lines and really working alongside."

"That feels very hopeful to me."

'We're not naive'

While Trump was the catalyst for the event, Rankin said that the protest wasn't focused on changing his mind, but on showing policy-makers from around the country what their constituents believe in.

"I think we'd be spinning our wheels if we thought that we could somehow change Donald Trump's thinking or change his methods or his methodology," she said.

"People are being very smart in their approach in that we'll work around him."

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