JOINING up to 100,000 marchers in London to protest against Donald Trump were two former Petersfield mayors.
With their home-made placards, Teresa Jamieson and Liz Mullenger showed solidarity with women at similar marches around the world, on Trump’s first full day as President, Saturday, January 21.
They felt compelled to join The Womans March, from the American Embassy to a rally of speakers at Trafalgar Square, because of Trump’s views on women and more.
Banners bore messages including ‘Hope Not Grope’, alluding to sexual allegations made against him, and ‘Nasty Women Unite’, referencing his description of Hillary Clinton during the election campaign. A fifth of those who marched were supportive men.
Liz and Teresa were among the 40 people who hung ‘Bridges Not Walls’ protest banners from the A3 bridge at Petersfield too, on Friday, as part of a nationwide campaign.
“On Saturday, we joined tens of thousands of others in London to protest about Donald Trump and his attitude towards women, global warming, human rights, disabled people and ethnic minorities,” explained Liz, who was town mayor in the 1980s, as was Teresa.
“There was an amazing atmosphere and many banners expressing their disappointment and fears of this moment.
“As someone who grew up in the 50s and 60s, it seems like the clock is in danger of being wound back to those days of profound inequality. It felt really important not to sit back and bemoan the situation. To know that similar demonstrations were taking place all over the free world gave comfort.
“From my very limited experience in the political world and as a manager of the CAB, I have seen many examples of policies being introduced to solve a problem without looking at the wider effects of those actions.
“My profound hope is that the new President will take advice from a wide range of experts and acknowledge that the problems he sees as not solvable at a stroke.”