All the Women’s March Bay Area Info & Beyond

By Peter Wong

Photo by Helena Gonzalez

The third Women’s March is happening.  Rain or shine, it’s happening. In the wake of the 2018 midterm elections’ Women’s Wave, it’s happening.  Despite the charges of anti-Semitism levelled against some members of the national Women’s March organization, it’s happening.  Despite media mockery over the Eureka Women’s March kerfuffle, it’s happening.

The March still needs to happen because there are way too many people who don’t think women’s rights are human rights.  Hell, there are still people who don’t feel women should have rights, period.

But people in the San Francisco Bay Area should help ensure Women’s Marches  happen in future years. The grassroots organizations that put on the Marches listed below accept neither dimes nor directions from the national Women’s March organization.  That means these same organizations bear the responsibility for raising the monies to make the Marches happen. And several of the marches listed below currently have funding shortfalls.  So if you can, click on the donation link for a Women’s March you’re interested in supporting.

Immediate San Francisco Bay Area

Women’s March Oakland

Info from Women’s March Oakland

Co-hosts for this year’s Women’s March are Women’s March Oakland, Black Women Organized For Political Action, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center.  The march is open to self-identified women and their allies. This expressly non-partisan and peaceful march aims to inspire the local community to help create a new nation and even a new world.

WHEN–10 AM to 3 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–Lake Merritt Amphitheater, Lake Merritt Boulevard, Oakland, CA

To RSVP via Eventbrite, go here.

To donate, go here.

Women’s March San Francisco

Info from Women’s March Bay Area

In celebration of the #WomensWave, the theme of this year’s march is #TruthToPower.  Women’s March Bay Area focuses on creating the most intersectional feminism the world has ever seen.  This means rejecting hate and prejudice of any kind, such as that directed towards the Jewish or the LGBTQ communities.  The March’s goals include encouraging participation in the 2020 elections and fighting for women’s rights and environmental justice.

WHEN–11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–Civic Center Plaza, SF

To RSVP via Eventbrite, go here.  To RSVP via Facebook Event, go here.

To donate, go here.  Online donations are split between Women’s March SF and Women’s March San Jose.

Twitter tags:  #TruthToPower, #WomensMarchSF, #MeetMeAtTheMarch

Women’s March San Jose

Info from Women’s March San Jose

This year’s theme is “Truth To Power.”

Women’s March San Jose is a celebration of the Women’s Wave and an expansion of its work to uplift women leaders, advocate for gender equity, and fight for fair protection of human rights.

(Note:  As of this writing, the march’s official website did not have any further details regarding the march except what’s listed below.)

WHEN–11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–San Jose City Hall, 200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose

To RSVP via Eventbrite, go here.  To RSVP via Facebook Event, go here.

To donate, go here.

Twitter handle–#WomensWave

Farther Reaches Of The Bay Area

Women’s March Contra Costa

Info from Women’s March Contra Costa

The theme of the 3rd annual Women’s March Contra Costa is “Together We Rise.”

Women’s March Contra Costa is an independently funded grassroots local movement dedicated to empowering, educating and mobilizing citizens of Contra Costa County to stand together in support of civil liberties and protecting our planet. The March stands in solidarity with the unifying force of women, the people who bind families together and unite communities. The March’s focus is to support, educate and organize events providing meaningful connections, and to speak out against intolerance.

WHEN–10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–Civic Park, Walnut Creek, CA

To RSVP, go here.

To donate, go here.

Women’s March Napa Valley

Info from Women’s March Napa Valley

March Organizer Irit Weir sees this third annual Women’s March as building on the historic power of the Women’s Wave as seen in the 2018 midterm elections.  Those electoral results show the possibility of building a society based on human rights, common sense in immigration reform, and sustainable natural resources for future generations.   The March offers an opportunity for local grassroots activists and organizations to engage with the Napa Valley community.

WHEN–9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–School Street, between First & Third Streets, Napa

To donate, go here.

Women’s March Santa Cruz County

Info from Santa Cruz Women’s March

Santa Cruz Women’s March 2019 comes courtesy of the march’s partnership with Santa Cruz Indivisible and the Santa Cruz Police Department.

This year’s theme of “Truth To Power” is realized here by encouraging participants to “own their Truth and use their Power.”  The political victories of 2018 were very satisfying, but it’s time to recommit to the fight. One activity marchers can do is to help generate 3000 postcards for the Enough Is Enough Voter Project To Save Title IX.  Other political resistance activities will also be available as well as musical performances and food trucks.

WHEN–10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–Corner of Pacific & Cathcart Streets, Santa Cruz

To RSVP via Facebook Event, go here

To donate, go here.

Women’s March Sonoma County

Women’s March Petaluma

Info from Women’s March Petaluma’s Facebook page

Petaluma will see its first ever Women’s March this year.  Their March Planning Committee notes that among the people organizing this event and the people speaking at it are members from the Jewish community, the LGBTQ community, and various communities of color.  This is part of their effort to “lift up the voices of ALL women.” For when this March is as inclusive as possible, the participants can work together to truly advance solutions to women’s issues.

WHEN–11 AM to 3 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–Walnut Park, Petaluma, CA

Twitter tags: #WomensMarchPetaluma, #TruthToPower, #WomenAreRad

Instagram handle: @pwm_2019

Women’s March Santa Rosa

Downtown Santa Rosa’s Courthouse Square will be the setting for their third Women’s March.  Several community groups will be available with their resources for local, national and global action.  There will also be a sign-making station and a children’s activity area.

WHEN–10:00 AM to 1:30 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–Courthouse Square (Third Street & Mendocino Avenue), Santa Rosa, CA

To register via Facebook, go here.

Women’s March Sonoma Valley

Info on the Sonoma, CA march is scant.  From the City of Sonoma page, these are the only details on the Sonoma Valley March:

An unnamed coalition of Sonoma Valley progressives are putting together this march.  Their aims are engaging youth, uplifting women leaders, advocating for gender equality, and standing up against voter suppression and for fair protection of all human rights.

WHEN–From 10 AM to 12 PM, January 19, 2019

WHERE–#1 The Plaza, Sonoma, CA