Yesterday I attended the Women's March in Seattle and I thought I would share some of that experience with you. The day dawned with blue sky and sunshine, which lasted until after the March was over. I made my way down to downtown Seattle by 9:15 along with hordes of others who arrived by bus, train, ferry, and even a whole Clipper ship from Canada, hoping to catch a bus out to Judkins Park, where the marchers were gathering before embarking on the 3.6 mile route. It was clear that Metro transit had not planned on the turnout for this event. As i waited for a bus, the "bus stop" - basically the entire city block - filled up with people 6 deep waiting for a bus to go to the starting point. The buses came, but did not stop, because they were completely full. Bus after bus passed us by, crammed with marchers who had boarded earlier in the route. The crowd waiting grew larger. Finally many of us realized it was hopeless to try to get to Judkins Park. Talk circulated about simply moving over to 4th Avenue to wait for the March to come to us. I, along with many others, changed our plan. Good thing we did, because Judkins Park was not big enough to hold all the attendees. I heard afterward that the park filled, then overflowed into the surrounding neighborhood with marchers.
I made my way over to 4th Avenue. The sidewalks were thick with people waiting to join the March after it arrived downtown. I made my way south down 4th avenue all the way down to Yesler Street in Pioneer Square. I waited with great anticipation. Finally the police escort was visible. First the cars. Then the motorcycles. Then the bicycles. At last, and first, came the Native American tribal members drumming and smudging, calling for protection of water and land. The marchers filled up the entire street. Signs waved. Spirits were high. Suddenly my neighbors appeared, waving American Flags and calling my name. I jumped into the March with them and we shared the long walk to Seattle Center.
There have been many news accounts of the marches, but none have mentioned a particular spontaneous occurrence that happened here in Seattle. About half way to Seattle Center while we were in a particularly canyon-like block between high rise buildings on both sides I suddenly heard a very unnerving, high pitched siren-type sound. My neighbor and I shared a surprised, alarmed look. What is that? It sounded like an air raid siren coming from in back of us. The sound grew louder and was coming up at us from behind. Suddenly it was obvious, it was a sound wave, created by the marchers and being passed forward from back to front. It was wails of grief, shouts of joy, maybe even war whoops - whatever people needed to express. The sound broke over us just like a wave and we met it and passed it forward with our own lusty vocalizations. In that echoing canyon of a street, the sound was amplified and reverberated, perhaps reaching the heavens. After that first wave broke, new sound waves rolled up the march and over us about every 5 minutes.
So just imagine this. The march route was 3.6 miles long. By the time the first marchers arrived at the end, there were still people waiting to leave the starting point. Those people at the back, they started these sound waves connecting us all throughout the entire length of the route. I arrived at the Seattle Center at approximately 1:30pm. I milled around and enjoyed the crowd for about 2 hours before walking back downtown. I was walking back down 3rd Ave, one block west of 4th. At an intersection waiting for a light, I suddenly heard one of these sound waves rolling up the next block over. I looked over at 4th Ave and the street was still full of marchers filling the street, carrying their signs, creating their sound waves - still at least 3/4 of a mile from their destination. I was done for the day and these folks hadn't even gotten there yet. The official police tweet was that the last marchers got to Seattle Center at 3:54pm.
What a day. What an experience. We are fired up. If you would like to see pictures, please click on the link:Photo Journal