Local diversity group coordinates rally to commemorate Women’s March

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By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter

Local diversity group coordinates rally to commemorate Women’s March
Participants gather at the Shrewsbury Town Common to commemorate Women’s March.
Photo/Melanie Petrucci

Shrewsbury – A small but dedicated group of residents gathered in Shrewsbury on the Town Common the morning of Jan. 19 to mark the third annual Women’s March. Organizers forged ahead in spite of other rallies and marches being canceled across the country over issues such as inclusivity, discrimination, divisiveness – and weather.

In Shrewsbury the weather was cold, but that didn’t deter Karen Fine, one of the organizers of the event.  Enthusiasm had not diminished since 2016 when the Shrewsbury Diversity Coalition first held the event the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

“That’s why the original Women’s March was on the day after the inauguration. It was kind of a day of protest in support of women and a lot came out of that. There are a lot more women who ran for office and got elected so that was a really wonderful outcome,” Fine said.

The Shrewsbury event was less of a march and more of a rally as the group stood with placards and homemade posters in support of women and women’s rights. There were a lot of horns honking and people waving their support.

“It’s so wonderful in our community to just show that we can get a bunch of people together… to show that we have similar values and that we are upset with what’s going on in our government and in many ways this government has brought women’s rights backwards,” Fine added.

Noor Ali, the principal at Al-Hamra Academy said that the group members got to know each other through the formation of the Shrewsbury Diversity Coalition.  They first met up right after the election in 2016 and they have been meeting semi-regularly ever since. Meetings are held at the Shrewsbury Public Library.

“I think that it’s really good that we are standing up for what we believe in and that we are hoping to stop the [government] shut down before it gets really, really bad and people have to sell their things,” said Fine’s son, Nate Dziura, who is 10 years old.

Fine noted that the rally was coordinated jointly with the Worcester Chapter of NOW (National Organization for Women).

 

 

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