Following Donald Trump’s inauguration Friday, millions of people took part in the Women’s Marches Saturday.
One Texas Tech student traveled all the way down to Austin to participate with his grandmother.
“This is a right guaranteed to us by our Constitution of the United States to assemble peacefully and protest for what we believe in, and to criticize our government,” Tech Sophomore Kabl Wilkerson said.
Over 100 demonstrators participated in Lubbock, 20,000 in Houston, and 50,000 in Austin.
“I saw a lot of regular people who felt moved, just like me, to come out and show support for their ideals and their political beliefs,” Wilkerson said, “And they had so many different signs, it was incredible.”
At marches across the country, it wasn’t just women who felt the need to take part.
“I feel I have an obligation to be there for people who don’t have the same ability to make the statement that I would make even though I wasn’t going just to make a statement for myself, it was me supporting what I believe in and supporting my grandmother,” Wilkerson said.
One thing Wilkerson said surprised him (and many others) on Saturday was how big the crowd was.
“People who started the march were already back at the Capitol building by the time I, who was at the middle, was starting the route.”
Wilkerson said many of his friends don’t get his reason for marching, but it was still important for him to add his voice to the historic march.
“My friends won’t understand all that much, but that’s perfectly fine. We’re allowed to think differently under the blessings of the Constitution.”