Demonstrators gather for Fort Myers Women’s March

Hundreds gathered at the intersection of Colonial Boulevard and US 41 in Fort Myers for the annual Women’s March on Saturday morning.

Women’s March Ft Myers organized the event. They are a 501 c4 with the purpose of supporting women’s issues locally and nationally.

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This was one of many women’s marches that occurred throughout the nation on Saturday.

Kathy Mayo is the president of the Fort Myers/Naples chapter of the National Organization of Women.

She said that she was pleased with the turnout of the event.

“It looks like we had 250, 300 people, so that’s really positive,” said Mayo. “They represented all different ages.”

Mayo said she wants to give a voice to people in Fort Myers who feel like they do not have one.

“We just wanted to be a part of this nationwide march today,” said Mayo. “We wanted to show that not everyone in Fort Myers is delighted by the results of this last election.”

Kaitlynn Leon attended the march. She brought a speaker and danced with fellow demonstrators throughout the march. She wanted to use dance as a way to bring positivity to the demonstration.

“I find that dance in combination with music is a universal language,” said Leon. “I start dancing, and people around me start dancing. I wouldn’t be surprised if we got a lot of honks from people who had no idea what this was even about. If that made them happy for a moment, that’s why I do what I do.”

Carrie Teagarden also attended the march. Despite being one of the youngest people there, she was one of the most vocal, even bringing a megaphone to lead the chants.

She said that she felt compelled to march on Saturday despite the challenges she’s faced.

“There’s lots of discouragement, but there’s also a renewal to fight, to be the underdog,” said Teagarden. “You get more desperate, you get more radicalized and I think we’re seeing that in all of Florida.”

Teagarden also finds inspiration from seeing demonstrators older than her continue to march.

“It’s inspiring for me to see the older generation,” said Teagarden. “They’re talking about how they protested in Vietnam, how they protested for all these things from before I was born. It’s a call to action for my peers. If they’re yelling and marching in the hot sun, you can too.”

Mayo said that despite the political differences neighbors may face, they must focus on being good to one another.

“Just remember how important kindness is to each other and use that as your guidepost,” said Mayo. “Not money, not sexism, not racism.”