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| Protesters gather on the National Mall in Washington. in the first Women's March in Jan. 21, 2017.
(Fox News) |
Organizers of a Women’s March rally slated for Northern California
next month have canceled the event, saying they were concerned
that participants would have been “overwhelmingly white."
In a
news release, organizers for the march in Eureka – about 270 miles north
of San Francisco – said Friday the "decision was made after many
conversations between local social-change organizers and supporters of
the march.”
“Up to this point, the participants have been
overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives
in our community,” the news release continued.
According to Census Bureau data from July, Humboldt County, where Eureka is the county seat, is 74 percent non-Hispanic white.
“I was appalled to be honest,” Amy Sawyer Long told the
Washington Times.
“I understand wanting a diverse group. However, we live in a
predominantly white area … not to mention how is it beneficial to
cancel? No matter the race people still want their voices heard.”
“I
understand wanting a diverse group. However, we live in a predominantly
white area … not to mention how is it beneficial to cancel? No matter
the race people still want their voices heard.”
— Amy Sawyer Long
The
rally, which had been planned for Jan. 19, would have commemorated the
third anniversary of the original Women’s March, which was held Jan. 21,
2017, the day after President Trump took office.
The group said it is exploring shifting the rally to March to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The
Women’s March movement has been marred by complaints from some black
and Latina women, who've raised concerns that their input is often
disregarded or overlooked,
the New York Times reported.
The cancellation of the march in California follows a previous one in Chicago.
Women's March organizers in that city cited high costs and limited volunteer hours as reasons for nixing the annual rally,
the Chicago Tribune reported.
“There’s
no march, there’s no rally,” said Sara Kurensky, Women’s March Chicago
board member. “We’re going to provide ways for people to organize and
take action in their local communities.”
WOMEN’S MARCH LEADER CLAIMS SHE WAS KICKED OUT OF PROGRESSIVE GROUP FOR BEING JEWISH, REPORT SAYS
Meanwhile,
the Women’s March national leadership has faced accusations of
anti-Semitism because of ties to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
In
a speech in February, Farrakhan praised a Women's March co-President
Tamika Mallory and declared “the powerful Jews are my enemy.”
Leaders of Women’s March Inc. have come under scrutiny for not
condemning Farrakhan’s rhetoric fast enough. The Nation of Islam is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
ALYSSA MILANO WON’T SPEAK AT WOMEN’S MARCH UNLESS ORGANIZERS CONDEMN LOUIS FARRAKHAN
Earlier this month, a Washington state chapter of the Women's March
disbanded in protest because of the national group's links to anti-Semitism.
Marches
and rallies are still planned for Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C., and
dozens of other cities nationwide and internationally.