Bay Area women face Trump presidency together
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Just one day after President Donald J. Trump took his oath of office before a divided nation, Bay Area residents took to the streets with an oath of their own in mind.
RELATED: Massive crowd gathers for women's march in San Francisco
Several demonstrations broke out in Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco, and other parts of the Bay Area on Inauguration Day. Several people were arrested, but the majority occurred without incident.
Despite rainy conditions, a large crowd gathered at Civic Center Plaza for a rally and demonstration around 3 p.m., with a march set to start at 5 p.m.
The crowd was diverse, carrying signs with slogans like, "We shall overcomb" and "Love Trumps Hate."
Children could be seen riding on their parents' shoulders and some held signs of their own.
Marchers were safely guided down the street by San Francisco police, with cable cars leading the way. It started raining around 5:15 p.m., rendering most cardboard signs unreadable by the end of the nearly 2-mile walk.
The wet weather didn't deter marchers, who carried on as the wind and precipitation pounded the city streets. Many were drawn to the event after seeing posts about the event from around the world on social media.
"There were so many cool vibes, and my Twitter was blowing up with so many amazing people going to this event," said San Francisco resident Sarah Jackson. "It's such a historic event, it would be a shame for me to not let my voice be heard, along with every other woman I know."
Her friend, Meredith Schomburg, held a colorful sign with dancing figures drawn on it that read "The future is still female."
"I think no matter, beliefs, upbringings or what political standings you may hold, women are important and respect of women, and all people really is something to take a stand for," she said.
When asked what her initial reaction to the inauguration of President Trump was, Jackson replied, "I was devastated. My heart broke a little bit. It was, it was really hard. I had to work through it."
Jackson said seeing the inauguration festivities on Twitter compelled her to participate in the march. "Seeing, watching the inauguration, I was like, 'Yep, Women's March tomorrow. I will be there, and I will have a sign that represents me and my grandmother.'"
Some groups of marchers seemed to span generations--mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren walking solidarity on Market Street.
Jackson remembered her grandmother saying, "She was just a really hard-working lady. She didn't back down. She didn't let people tell her 'No.' So I was like, 'Well I'm not about to take this lying down.'"
Bay Area women--standing together, standing up for what they believe is right.
PHOTOS: Women's March in Oakland, San Francisco
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