Organizers say more than 10,000 walked over the Ringling Causeway Bridge, waving signs in support of women's rights.
SARASOTA — The sidewalk along the John Ringling Causeway on Saturday was a sea of brightly dressed protesters waving signs supporting human rights and responding to honks from cars driving by.
Organizers estimated that more than 10,000 people turned out for the Sarasota Women's Solidarity March across the bridge beginning around noon. People, not just women, of all ages joined the local grassroots march as a way to support those at the Women's March on Washington. While many came from the Sarasota area, others arrived from as far as Wesley Chapel and Port Charlotte, and there were a number of snowbirds from out of state. Local celebrities such as author Stephen King spoke at the event.
"I'm so happy with how it turned out," event organizer Cathy Bryant, 41, said. "The energy was fantastic, the speakers were great; I don't think it could have gone any better."
Led by new organization Action Together Suncoast and Bryant, the march started as a way to acknowledge the march in Washington, D.C., for those who could not go.
"I knew I wasn't going to be able to go Washington, it just wasn't going to fit into my life," Bryant said. "So I thought, 'let's just have one here.'"
Once word spread on social media, Bryant said she had at least 5,000 people interested and signed up online before the march, including many visitors from outside the country.
"One of the most interesting things is people vacationing here are super excited to find a march — people from France, Germany, England," Bryant said. "Quite a few people emailed me, saying, 'I'm not from here, but we're going to come to the march here.'"
Although the march was billed nationally as a "women's march" and took place the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, many were quick to clarify that it was not a march against Trump nor was it a march solely for women's rights.
"I'm here to stand up for women's rights, LGBT rights, Obamacare," said Boston resident Fran Feldman, who lives in Sarasota for part of the year. "This 'America first' attitude — we cannot be isolated and we cannot be isolating."
For some participants, this was not their first march. They said they just didn't think they'd still have causes to march for.
"I've been marching for 53 years, we can't stop marching," said Venice resident Jean Golden. "I thought I'd be done by now."
The event was a chance for husbands and wives and friends to team up and host sign-making parties. Families, in some cases three generations, marched together. Krystal Lyons, 25, marched with her mother, aunts and fiance, but they all said there was one family member notably missing: Lyons' father.
"My dad didn't come today," Lyons said. "It's been tough, but women's rights doesn't have to be about tearing (Trump) down — this march is a positive thing."
While the inauguration was a day of anger and confusion for many of the march's participants, they said that Saturday's walk changed their mindset, at least for a little while. After coming off of the bridge, many said they felt "hopeful" and reinvigorated. Paulette Pace, 71, was one of them.
"I feel empowered, much better than yesterday," Pace said. "I think people are waking up — this was eye-opening."