Around 500 marchers turn out in Cody to support human rights

Posted 1/24/17

The Cody event drew around 500 women, men and children. Millennials integrated themselves with members of Generation X and the Baby Boomers as they marched around Cody City Park, carrying homemade signs and chanting from sheets handed out at sign-in …

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Around 500 marchers turn out in Cody to support human rights

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On a day that saw an estimated half-million demonstrators participate in the Women’s March on Washington, the Park County Women and Allies March joined similar events around the world in solidarity, marching in downtown Cody Saturday.

The Cody event drew around 500 women, men and children. Millennials integrated themselves with members of Generation X and the Baby Boomers as they marched around Cody City Park, carrying homemade signs and chanting from sheets handed out at sign-in tables. The large turnout was a pleasant surprise to organizers, who weren’t quite sure what to expect.

“People just kept coming, and coming, and coming, from all sides, wherever they could find parking,” said Harriet Bloom-Wilson of Powell, one of many event organizers. “The day was beautiful and it made everyone feel good and happy. People were greeting each other, finding friends that maybe they were surprised to be there, looking at all the signs. The level of cooperation was absolutely extraordinary for that kind of a gathering.”

The march was a peaceful one, with few, if any, disagreements between participants.

“People were just so kind to each other,” Bloom-Wilson said. “They made room for each other, joined together when it was time to. They sang together, applauded for each other. It was such a unified display, I couldn’t have hoped or wished for anything more.”

Many marchers wore knitted pink beanies with cat ears, a response to inflammatory statements about women by newly sworn-in President Trump a decade ago. The hats were a fixture at nearly every march across the country, creating a bit of a media frenzy.

“Those hats were a hit,” Bloom-Wilson said. “There was enough of them to make a statement. That was fun, in the sense that many of the folks wearing them had never knitted before, but got the pattern and whipped out a bunch of them. People who made them were just giving them to each other. It was great.”

Sixteen speakers, representing issues from health care to climate change to minority issues, took turns addressing the crowd, and live music was provided by Cody musician Garrett Randolph. Those who spoke reiterated the importance of making their voices heard to the new administration and moving forward as a unified nation. Speaker and Northwest College history professor Steve Thulin said the nation is entering uncharted territory, and remaining quiet is no longer an option.

“I teach about a republic I desperately want to preserve,” Thulin said. “I’m concerned about the health of our democracy right now.”

Thulin went on to say the diversity of those in attendance spoke to the importance of the event and ones similar to it.

“This event is bigger than anything I ever thought would happen in Park County,” he said. “And what you see here is not just old boomers like myself; there are young people, millennials here. This is the future of Wyoming. These are the people we’re trying to attract to Wyoming to build the economy. People who understand how to build economies know that inclusion is what you have to have. That’s what this rally is about.”

Emily and Henry Jones of Cody said they chose to participate in the march to support equal rights. They, like event organizers, were encouraged by the number of participants.

“I was really pleased with how many came,” Emily Jones said. “I didn’t know if we’d get the turnout we were hoping for. It just shows that good will always be there.”

The young couple said events like the march are important in maintaining a united country and continuing the support of every human right.

“I think our country is finally waking up on all sides,” Henry Jones said. “I think we’re taking more of an interest in our politics on all sides to what’s really important to us ... whatever side you’re on, I think we’re all going to become much more aware, and the dialogue will hopefully be pleasant.”

The official logo that appears on posters and banners for the Park County Women and Allies March was designed by Renee Tafoya, retired associate professor of art and graphic design at NWC. Tafoya said she’s concerned with the Trump administration’s stance on a number of issues, including immigration and the environment.

“Some of the things the incoming administration are proposing are anti-human rights,” she said. “Not just that, lack of public education, lack of arts, all of that kind of funding is in jeopardy. It’s too big of a change, too fast. Everybody’s upset. It’s just such an abrupt about-face from the direction in which we went.”

Organizers of the march said it’s their hope participants will take the positive experiences gained at the event and apply them toward keeping their beliefs and ideals at the forefront of our government.

“What I hope, and what I think people took away from this, is the awareness that they’re not alone,” Bloom-Wilson said. “That we have a larger community than any of us realized. This is only the beginning, it really is.”

The annual Park County Right to Life Pro-Life March and Rally was also held Saturday morning, beginning in front of Cody City Hall and ending with a service at the Memorial for the Unborn at Riverside Cemetery. It drew around 80 people.

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