PORT TOWNSEND — Two organizations plan to stage rallies Saturday in downtown Port Townsend.
The fourth annual Womxn’s March will focus on diverse missions and the theme “women rising.”
A separate demonstration hosted by the Jefferson County Republican Party will support conservative voices and the President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Womxn’s March will begin at 11 a.m. with a gathering at the Flagship Landing building next to Quimper Mercantile, 1121 Water St., Port Townsend, said Penny Jensen, one of three event organizers.
Participants will march to Pope Marine Park at 11:30 a.m. for a short rally at the park at noon, Jensen said.
The national organization based in Washington, D.C., is protesting the Trump Administration, she said, but the Port Townsend event will be “a mixed bag, from politics to encouraging women to all of the above.”
“If you look at the national mission of the Womxn’s March, it’s about harnessing the political power of diverse women to create social change and also make sure we want to protect women’s rights and actually everyone’s rights,” Jensen said.
“To me, that means continually being vigilant about protecting our rights as women, encouraging women to get educated, vote, run for office and protections for women and their children.”
Jensen said the “x” in Womxn’s March signifies that it’s open to anyone.
“It means it’s open to women of all diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientation,” she said.
The Republican Party demonstration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the stoplight at the corner of Water and Taylor streets in downtown Port Townsend.
A flier that promotes the event to its supporters asked them to wear Make America Great Again hats and to bring homemade pro-Trump signs.
The organization staged a similar rally Jan. 11 at the Hood Canal bridge.
Both groups encouraged men to join.
Jensen said the Womxn’s March has averaged about 2,300 participants in the past three years, with a high of about 4,000 in 2018.
“The weather is going to be very windy downtown and maybe some rain, but we’re just going to give it a go,” she said of the rain-or-shine event.
She praised the Port Townsend Police Department for managing rallies with opposing views and said her group will “emphasize peace and non-confrontation.”
“It’s the United States,” Jensen said of counter-protesters. “People are welcome to be out there as activists. That’s their right to do that.”
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
