Protest forms outside Kalispell’s second annual Women’s March
KALISPELL, Mont. — People participated in Women’s Marches across the nation Saturday, including in Montana.
Kalispell hosted its second annual Women's March at Depot Park.
Hundreds of people lined the sidewalks, held signs and filled Kalispell's Depot Park for the event.
"This year was all about lifting people up and making sure that people who needed to be heard, but sometimes have a harder time being heard, get to be heard," said Kalispell Women’s March organizer Kwen Shirley.
Outside of Depot Park, a protest formed against the Kalispell Women's March.
The protestors said the march is about President Trump and not really just women's rights.
"It's basically the resistance against Trump and we just feel that we should have a voice too and it's just that simple," said Columbia Falls resident Braxton Shewalter.
Shirley told NBC Montana their march is not talking about President Trump, but the issues he is against.
"A lot of the topics we are talking about he has spoken out against so we have someone speaking about climate change," Shirley said.
One of the biggest messages Shirley said they are trying to drive home is equal rights for everyone and showing support for each other.
"Just to know that there is this many people in the community that are willing to come out on a snowy Saturday and say yeah I believe in you,” said Shirley. “I believe in your rights to exist. I believe in your rights to be human in the United States."
Besides holding signs, people at this Women's March listened to speakers on all different topics.
One speaker talked about missing and murdered indigenous women, something both groups support.
"We know this is a problem, we see this is a problem and we want to figure out how to make it less of a problem," Shirley told NBC Montana.
"And we stand with the missing murdered indigenous women across the state you know it's unfortunate and it's not right you know,” said Shewalter. “What we are standing up against is you know the far left movement that is being pushed."
Both the protestors and ralliers spent Saturday afternoon practicing a right given to all American citizens, free speech.
