2017 Lincoln Nebraska Women's March

The 2017 Lincoln Nebraska Women's March was a protest of around 3,000 to 4,000 women in Lincoln, Nebraska. It took place on January 21, 2017, the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration, and was part of a larger movement of anti-Trump women's marches.

On January 20th, 2017, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. His presidential campaign was controversial due to his derogatory comments and a very limited background in politics. Many Americans paid particularly close attention to his derogatory remarks about women and noted that he had a history of making such comments. Although many were outraged at these shocking observations, this did not affect his ability to win the Presidency. The day after Trump was inaugurated, thousands of peaceful protesters gathered in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, to express their solidarity for women’s rights issues as well as other issues they felt might be threatened by the Trump administration. It was estimated that around 3,000 to 4,000 women met at the UNL Student Union and marched to the State Capitol a few blocks away. They joined millions of other people that marched nationwide to advocate for the equal rights of women. The protesters across the nation advocated for reproductive rights, environmental initiatives, healthcare, and economic inequality. Lincoln was one of three locations that hosted a march in Nebraska, with Omaha and Loup City being the other two.

Impact

On January 21, 2017, the nationwide Women's March was estimated to have been the largest single-day demonstration in United States History. It is difficult to tell what type of legislative impact the march had on the U.S. Government. Still, it likely brought awareness to women's general issues, given the event's magnitude. The Lincoln March was one of three in Nebraska that day. The Lincoln March recurred every year, including 2020 when it was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains to be seen whether the march will occur under the Biden administration.

2017 Event Logistics

Organizers

The local march was primarily organized through Facebook by Wendy Hines, a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Candidates/Speakers

Three speakers addressed the crowd, starting and ending with Rev. Karla Cooper, who is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Cooper closed the ceremony with song, and together thousands of participants joined arms and sang "This Little Light of Mine." Across the country, over 670 affiliate marches popped up in collaboration with the Women's March on Washington. It is estimated that over 4.5 million people attended the marches, according to the Women's March on Washington's official website. The event was created to promote unity and equal rights for all regardless of gender, race, or religion in the wake of President Donald Trump's election.

Controversy

UNL Fraternity Scandal

The event started at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. As the crowd passed the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, 50 members were outside harassing members of the protest. They shouted phrases such as "No means yes" and flew Trump flags. This brought a lot of media attention to the protest and the fraternity. This caused counter-protests against the fraternity. A group threw bloody tampons at the fraternity door, protested outside the chapter house, and tried to start arguments with members of the fraternity. Members of Phi Gamma Delta claimed that they did not protest against women's rights but wanted to support Donald Trump.

Campus Response

The university did a full investigation and ended up suspending the chapter for multiple violations, including alcohol abuse, hazing, and inappropriate sexual behavior. This included a pattern of sexually harassing conduct that was shown at the event. The house was not on active status until 2019.

See also

• 2017 Women's March
• List of 2017 Women's March locations