Bemidji Women’s March Draws Hundreds

Protestors concerned about the rhetoric used during the election cycle held rallies across the world in support of the Women’s March on Washington. While many of the rallies were held in major cities, nearly 500 marchers walked through Bemidji.

The event gathered a much larger turn out than expected. Pam Lemm said that there were two Facebook events with about 100 people responding that they would be there, but she was unsure if any of them were repeats.

Lemm, a Bemidji resident, organized the event because she wanted those who were unable to travel to D.C. or other major cities like Minneapolis, which also held a march, to be able to participate.

She hopes everyone can band together against messages of intolerance.

Martin Graefe says he was happy to see that the crowd included some men.

Ellie Karger, a nine-year-old from Bemidji, says she was encouraged by her mom to come and march.

It’s this younger generation that Sue Ellis says she is marching for.

But what started as a march for women’s rights soon turned in to much more than that. For some, this was the time to speak out for others – LGBT people, immigrants, the disabled and more.

Officials estimate that over 500,000 people attended the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday.