More than 250 protestors stood on the south entrance of the State Capitol early Saturday afternoon, braving bitter cold and harsh wind, to oppose political extremism on women’s issues.
The event was part of a national movement. Protesters came to the Capitol building in Oklahoma City and other parts of the country to criticize the incoming Trump administration and to oppose bills and policies sponsored by Oklahoma’s Republican-controlled Legislature, according to both state and federal organizers.
“We are facing an unprecedented assault on our rights,” said Nicole Maldonado, a local organizer for the Oklahoma City protest. “This is not just about reproductive rights, it’s about human rights, workers’ rights, and the fundamental right to live in a society that is not controlled by corporations and right-wing extremists.”
The event, organized by Lia Camp, Vivian Jaber, and Nicole Maldonado, included speakers, music, and several non-profit groups working to address issues.
The Oklahoma City march follows what organizers described as “a nationwide mobilization” on June 24th, 2024, the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade being overturned.
Despite the large turnout, it paled in comparison to the thousands who demonstrated at the Oklahoma Capitol following President-elect Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
Those who attended Saturday said they recognized a watershed moment in history as Trump prepares to retake the White House.
“This January 18th event kicks off Inauguration Weekend with a powerful demonstration of resistance,” Lia Camp, the organizer, told reporters.
Robin Naik, an Edmond protestor, said she came to the Capitol building on Saturday to voice her concerns about efforts to ban library books and silence media outlets like National Public Radio.
“It’s better to be here than not to be here,” she told me. “And I appreciate that in spite of the cold we did not go inside.”
Naik was impressed that Saturday’s protestors promised to stay outside in the cold, despite recent reports that President-elect Trump has moved his inauguration indoors to avoid the cold weather.
Madison Hightower, a Norman resident, said she attended Saturday’s protest to remind those in power that women’s rights are human rights as well. She stated that while public officials may be listening to some of the protestors’ complaints and making “small changes,” Hightower and others are looking for much larger changes.
Hightower, an actress and filmmaker, believes that while they are hearing us, it is not enough. “They aren’t responding as well as we’d like. There are small changes, and we are hoping for big changes.”
Emily Thiemann, another protestor, said she stood in the cold Saturday to advocate for women’s rights and to oppose the proposed ban on the social media platform TikTok.
“I don’t want to see people being censored,” Thiemann stated. “This is about freedom of speech and access to information.”
Camp said she was pleased and surprised by the large turnout on Saturday, despite the harsh weather.
“It looks like a bigger crowd than the Oklahoma City Women’s March in June,” she told me. “All I had to do was sign up as a host, and everyone helped propel the movement. I’m very proud of the turnout.”
She was pleased with the connections between women’s groups, as well as the effort each group made to attend the event. While Camp believes that many state lawmakers are not listening to women’s concerns, she claims that this lack of engagement has made many more women and topics visible.
“I understand that politics is politics,” she went on: “But we are going to demonstrate that we care about one another. We care about the homeless, many of whom are women. There are numerous issues. It is important to talk about them.
