On March 8, Democrats Abroad Paris (DA Paris) hit the streets of the capital to mark International Women’s Day—not just as a day of celebration, but as a day of action and resistance. Parisians know how to protest, and DA France does too. In this year’s march they sent a clear message: we’re defending women’s rights and standing up for all people under attack.
Ada Shen, the protest’s organizer, says that their ask to attendees was simple: “Show up, bring your signs, and bring your outrage. And people did.”
“Almost everyone arrived with a sign in hand, ready to make their voices heard. Our tallest marcher carried our USA Pride flag—helping signal our presence while making it clear what we stand for,” added Shen.
This wasn’t DA Paris’ first march this year. Just weeks earlier, on January 18th, the chapter rallied for the People’s March. They found that even those who couldn’t attend took heart in seeing others step up, and were energized by the hope the event brought.
The momentum carried over to International Women’s Day, thanks in part to a global call for action from the Democrats Abroad Global Women’s Caucus and the DA Resists team.
Shen notes that the march also created a natural opportunity to talk about the work Democrats are doing to resist Trump’s policies back in the U.S.—a message that resonated with people who are hurting and looking for ways to fight back.
She found that the marcher’s energy didn’t stop with the protest. It carried over into other DA Paris resistance events that week: their “Reading Room” on Monday, and “Walk and Talk” on Tuesday—each fueled by the momentum of people wanting to do something.
“I’m really grateful that we’re ready to help people vote, and also connect with their democratic processes back home. It’s a moment when people need to rise up and unite”, Shen says.
With critical elections in WI and FL looming on April 1st, the protest organizers also highlighted the importance of staying engaged in elections back home.
“Voting in the US can be complicated as rules vary by state. But letting people know about Votefromabroad.org is an easy message to share any time.”
They also directed attendees to DA’s Take Action email alerts, and highlighted the need to call their Congressional reps to vote NO to both the SAVE Act, and the Stopgap budget bill.
“People responded really enthusiastically to these specific asks,” says Shen.
That’s the key: protesting isn’t just about showing up, it’s about channeling that energy into concrete, productive action on our political process..
“This is our democracy. Use it or lose it.”
Ada Shen is the Diversity Caucus Chair for DA Paris, and is in DA Paris Chapter leadership
Democrats Abroad loves volunteers and encourages you to get in touch if you have time to rise up and mobilize! Write [email protected]