WASHINGTON - Folks from metro Atlanta and elsewhere in Georgia joined the hundreds of thousands of attendees at the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday.
Jaymie Goitia of Monroe and her daughters Lana, 20, and Emily, 14, took a bus up from Athens.
“We are very privileged people who have the opportunity to have a voice for those who are less fortunate,” she said.
“This is how I let the country know how I feel,” said Emily, who’s a few years from voting age.
“This is the most people I’ve ever seen in my life,” Lana said.
“And I’ve been to a UGA football game!” their mom quipped.
Here’s what a few other Georgia marchers had to say:
“I signed up on one of the first buses out of Atlanta. I’m a STEM student, I go to Georgia Tech, I’m about to graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering and the fact that Steve Bannon, one of (President Donald Trump’s) chief advisors, published an article that said it is pointless to educate women in STEM because we’re a waste of money — I took that one pretty personally.”
- Anna Smart, Atlanta
“It was totally amazing. I am so happy that we were a part of that. It was almost overwhelming how great it was. I am definitely getting involved. I vote in local elections, but this really stokes that fire in activism. I believe we sent a message. Sheer number-wise alone. When you think about how many people were here, you have to believe it made some kind of impact. I feel honestly the Trump people have to know.”
- Millie De Chirico, Decatur
“I have big concerns about public education being under attack at a federal level. I have real concerns about how it’s going to affect students with disabilities. I work with a lot of undocumented students and there is a lot of fear.”
- Vanessa Walker-Wilfong, Winder
“We’ve been marginalized. We’ve been ignored. We’ve been told to prepare for a Supreme Court chock full of conservatives. And we’re fed up with it.”
- Ginger Nix, Athens
“Politics are obnoxious. But I want to make a difference.”
- Maya Smith, Athens
“America is about liberty and justice for all. And the people who believe that come from everywhere, and there are so many more of us than people who believe in other things. I feel like we’ve accomplished what we came to do, which was to show the world that this is what America looks like and sounds like.”
- Jessica Lebos, Savannah
“I’m here for my daughters and I’m here for my friends. I’m here for my gay friends and my lesbian friends and my friends with disabilities and my friends of different nationalities and colors and I’m here for America. And this has been an amazing day.”
- Tania Sammons, Savannah
“I feel that this last election year gave people permission to be indecent, to think indecent behavior is OK ... In our area, churches are trying to legislate morality and I believe in decency.”
- Dena McElhannon, Winder
“I thought this would be a great thing to come out, support all the women across the nation and the world today.”
“I’m an educator so I have a huge problem with (Education nominee) Betsy DeVos. I teach special education students so I’m quite concerned about her remarks ... With Trump’s tweets, it’s nerve-wracking, especially on the world stage ... It’s a blessing to be here.”
- Shannon Frandsen, Loganville
Contributing: Greg Bluestein, Meris Lutz, Jeff Ernsthausen
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