The Women’s March worldwide was well represented in Missoula on Saturday as hundreds of women, men and children gathered downtown to march down Higgins to Caras Park to hear indigenous music and speeches from women activists.

The march and program were organized by Missoula Rises, an activist organization that is, according to their website, ‘committed to the protection of the rights of our community members.’

Rebecca Weston began by explaining the purpose of the march and rally.

“Just as ordinary folks like us for hundreds of years have fought and won historic battles for social safety nets, for civil rights, for reproductive rights, for marriage equality, we are here today to both continue that tradition of activism and to celebrate one year of struggle,” she said. “A struggle that’s not always easy to be a truly intersectional movement, and a struggle to bring social and economic justice.”

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One of the first speakers was UM Student Lauren Small Rodriguez, whose Cheyenne name is ‘Thunder Woman’.

“We are asking you to dismantle the system of oppression that this country is built upon, and that you maintain and have benefited from,” Small Rodriguez said. “We are asking for equality and for justice.”

Small Rodriguez asked questions of the audience, to all of which the answer was 'no'.

“Do they know what’s best for our bodies? No. Do they know what’s best for our children? No. Do they know what’s best for our homeland? No.”

Other speakers included Neryeda Calero, a dreamer and recipient of DACA, Meshayla Imonie Cox, President of the UM Black Student Union, and Anita Green, an activist for transgender rights.

Throughout the venue were signs promoting woman's rights, Native American rights, and many protesting President Donald Trump, one that simply read ‘IMPEACH’.

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