Women's march returns to downtown Cincinnati on Saturday

Local leaders are gearing up for the Cincinnati Women's March, which will wend its way through Downtown at noon Saturday starting at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center plaza. Last year, a record 14,000 people met at Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine to make their voices heard, many fueled by the election of President Donald Trump in November 2016 as half a million people marched in Washington the same day. Organizers are expecting 5,000 people to march in Cincinnati, according to women's march spokesperson Andria Carter. She said women have to demand to be heard and only then can they become effective leaders in a democracy. "More women are more alive, more awoke democratically than ever before," Carter said. "For example, the Women's March, the organization was created by women who've never even been activists before and they were so appalled in the election and the results of that, that they took up the mantle to say, 'Not anymore!' I think that's what we need to tell women today: Not anymore." The event starts with a rally and call to action, and commences a 1.5-mile march through downtown Cincinnati. This year's theme will be "Hear Our Vote!" with a focus on voter registration, fair elections and bringing people back to the polls in 2018. In addition to the march, participants will be collecting signatures for two petitions -- one to encourage criminal justice reform and decrease mass incarceration in Ohio and another against gerrymandering.