Hundreds attend local unity rally

An extension of the Women’s March on Washington took place in Yuma on Sunday.

The unity rally in Yuma was a sister event to the Women’s March movement that began in Washington D.C. on January 21, 2017.
Locals came together to support the movement that went national and gathered at Kennedy Park, beginning at 4 p.m. According to rally organizers, nearly three hundred people attended the event that focused on spreading a message of unity and inclusion. Co-organizer, Katie Fuchs said the purpose of the event was not to enact division among the community but to instead encourage an opportunity to vocalize a hope for policy change. “Yuma’s not just one small homogeneous group,” Fuchs said. “We represent all different kinds of cultural backgrounds. Racial backgrounds, economic backgrounds, political backgrounds. This is just a way to show that some of us who want to see change in the policy that’s changing our nation aren’t sure it’s going in the right direction.” Arizona Representative Charlene Fernandez attended Sunday’s rally and said she felt optimistic about the movement, adding she was happy to see a group of people vocalizing their differences in a peaceful manner. “We have a right to come together as a people,” Fernandez said. “It doesn’t have to be a political party. We can talk about our differences as well as the things we have in common. In Yuma County, there’s more things that bind us together than tear us apart and I hope that we can come together behind those things that hold us together.” Along with offering opportunities for more information on local grassroots groups, the rally encouraged attendees to write letters to their state legislature, vocalizing their concerns.