'Womxn's March on Seattle' Saturday expected to draw thousands

SEATTLE -- Tens of thousands of people are expected to join the "Womxn’s March" on Seattle this Saturday.

It’s being held in conjunction with the much larger Women's March on Washington (D.C.), where organizers expect about 200,000 people to attend. But the march in Seattle is expected to be one of the largest ones outside the nation's capital.



From sewing to painting, dozens gathered at Inscape Artist Studios in Seattle to put their skills to use in preparation for the march.

“A lot of people have never been active before; it’s been really cool to see them jump in,” said Erin Fox, Womxn’s March on Seattle organizer.

Organizers say the 3.5-mile march will start at Judkins Park Saturday morning and end at Seattle Center. As a security precaution, they won’t be releasing the exact route until closer to the date.

“There’s always, always a chance of violence in this country,” said Ginny Dierich, a volunteer.

However, Dierich says it won’t stop her from participating in the event. She believes the organizers’ decision to walk without chanting will encourage peace, not anger.

“I’m willing to risk my lives for these issues, but for this particular march I’m not worried about it, because I firmly believe that for this silent messaging, we’re using silence in the march, that if we keep a positive attitude we can step away from violence,” said Dierich.

It’s why Dierich, a mom of two, has even encouraged her daughters to participate, like 17-year old Penelope Dierich, who spent her day off from school painting a puppet that will be displayed at the march.

“I’ve already been kind of scared for how women are treated in this world, and I don’t like it,” said Penelope. “I don’t want to grow up in a world where women aren’t treated equally.”

Organizers say this event isn’t about protesting a newly inaugurated president but rather highlight issues like social justice and human rights that don’t just affect women but also men and children around the world.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at Judkins Park Saturday, first as a rally and then a march to Seattle Center. It’s expected to be wrapped up around 4 p.m.

Organizers said the "x" in Womxn's March on Seattle is to signify inclusivity and to show many of the issues overlap and affect different groups of people.