The statue of a young woman stands on a corner of the Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin. She looks down State Street towards the University of Wisconsin where many student marches have originated over the decades. This time she sees marchers taking part in the Women’s March on Madison. Appropriately enough, this sculpture named “Forward” was created by a Wisconsin woman, Jean Pond Miner, for the Wisconsin Women’s Memorial at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition.
The police thought the turnout would be about 30,000. Crowd estimates were later given as 75,000 – 100,000.
Signs, some funny and some serious, are always an important part of protests. They provide individuals with the opportunity to “speak out” in the crowd.