Feminists are not letting Donald Trump's recent sexual assault allegations pass—or his Trump Tower residents, for that matter. More than 100 women (and a few men) staged a sit-in Tuesday, blocking entry to New York City's Trump Tower, to protest "decades of Republican attacks on women's bodies," according to reports.
Organizers worked together to form a human wall, blocking the luxurious building for about 30 minutes, according to Gothamist. Some protesters banged on pots and chanted, "If Trump thinks he runs this town, pussy came to shut it down," in response to Trump's leaked tapes, in which he bragged about sexual assault. Others carried homemade signs with messages like "Grab My Pussy Muhfcka I Dare You" and "Fuck you Cheeto Voldemort" written in marker. The protesters reportedly wore all black as a symbol of militancy. Organizer Brigid Flaherty noted that the protest was also standing in solidarity with Muslim, Latinx, and African-American women, all of whom Trump has recently targeted.
"We really tapped into a moment of feminist anger," Flaherty said. "Multi-racial feminist anger. Women need this moment to scream and fight and sing with each other. This is really about highlighting the fact that, yes, all women are impacted by the sexist and racist language, but women of color are the most impacted."
Trump previously responded to the sexual assault allegations, saying that his conversation with Billy Bush was "locker room talk," and that he has never done the things he described. But Yong Jung Cho, another organizer, says his recent denial and statements are mere deflections. "[Trump is] deflecting and refusing to take any responsibility for any of his actions," Cho said.
Today's protests follow similar actions outside of Trump's campaign and RNC offices in two dozen cities including Miami, Philadelphia, Oakland, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. As for what's next, Flaherty says this is just the beginning. "You're going to have to wait and watch," she said. "The movement is growing." Protesters across the nation have been using the hashtags #GOPhandsoffme, #pussygrabsback, and #trumpvsallofus throughout the day in solidarity.
