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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Women’s marches planned Saturday in Boise and across the state, in conjunction with big D.C. march

With the big Women’s March on Washington planned Saturday, Idaho has seven women’s marches planned as well, including the Women’s March on Idaho in Boise, organized by two Boise high school students. Colette Raptosh, a Capital High School junior, and friend Nora Harren, a senior at Borah High School, formed “People for Unity” after the November election, and are the driving force behind the Boise march, the Idaho Statesman reports; thousands are expected. “I didn’t really think any of this was possible, even a couple weeks ago,” Raptosh told the Statesman; you can read their full report here.

Additional women’s marches are being planned Saturday in DriggsIdaho FallsKetchumMoscowPocatello and Sandpoint. They are among more than 600 “sister marches” being planned across the nation and around the world in conjunction with Saturday’s Washington D.C. march, which is set for the day after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.

The Boise event will start with a welcome from organizers on the Capitol steps at 10 a.m., followed by a short march to Boise City Hall. There, speakers will include State Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb and Rep. Melissa Wintrow, both Boise Democrats; Dianne Piggot, an LGBTQ activist; Jennifer Martinez, a Latina activist who ran for Congress last year, and Asmaa Albukaie, a Syrian refugee who resettled in Boise with her sons in early 2015. Activist Chelsea Gaona-Lincoln will offer a call to action to close the event.

The Women’s March on Idaho has a Facebook page here. The Women’s March on Washington lists this mission statement on its website: “We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.”



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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