No matter how you spin it, Donald Trump’s inauguration was a yuuuuge disaster. Need proof? Compare the crowd at Obama’s first inauguration concert to the crowd at what will hopefully be Trump’s only inauguration concert.
LOL #Obama's inaugural concert in 2009 (first two photos) vs. #Trump's #InauguralConcert today. TRAGIC. pic.twitter.com/w71xsDVx0B
— Mark Sundstrom (@106th) January 19, 2017
And compare the crowd for Obama’s first inauguration ceremony to the crowd at the Trump inauguration.
Comparison: President Trump and Barack Obama’s #Inauguration crowds #DayOne https://t.co/bmm9G8zOUF pic.twitter.com/i8p4S51QOM
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) January 20, 2017
Wow. At risk of sounding Trumpian, that’s really sad. Sad enough, in fact, that the vaunted Trump spin machine hasn’t even tried to claim the crowds were bigger, even though it now has the full power of the White House press machine behind it.
Well, it’s about to get a lot worse for Trump on his first full day in office. The Women’s March on Washington is slated to start with a rally at 10 a.m. on Saturday before stepping off at 1:15 p.m. And judging by the large numbers of women posting about it on social media, the crowds gathering there could potentially put Friday’s festivities to shame.
On Friday morning, Twitter and Instagram started lighting up with pictures of women at airports and bus stops, and on airplanes, buses, carpools, and vanpools–all en route to the march. The hashtag “#planefullofnastywomen” started heavily trending on Twitter on Friday afternoon. In a lot of cases, it was easy to spot women headed for the march. They were either wearing t-shirts, carrying signs, or wearing “pussy hats”–an obvious swipe at Trump’s boast that he was willing to “grab them by the “p***y.” In others, all that was needed was a show of hands.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPgyPXIBVbG/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPgx28GAkgb/
Joined by plane full of women heading to D.C. #WomensMarchOnWashington. Seattle is showing up in force! pic.twitter.com/RdBdCxvn8P
— Julia White (@julwhite) January 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/TallHenri/status/822526269451567105
#WomensMarchOnWashington #womensmarch plane is full of women headed to Washington and it's not for the inauguration pic.twitter.com/7TfiOYbBpq
— margaret gardiner (@MargaretGGG) January 20, 2017
Current status of my flight to D.C. #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/mn3DOicjxo
— Tots&Beer (@TotsAndBeer) January 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/legroff/status/822426518953623553
All of them plus more are on my flight to D.C. #planefullofnastywomen pic.twitter.com/UUg9m4j0xo
— Em (@_emmaallison) January 20, 2017
My aunts flight from #MSP to #womensmarch #planefullofnastywomen pic.twitter.com/uZ2Stqt0yN
— Gillian Galford (@g_galford) January 21, 2017
In many cases, all or most of the passengers were headed to Baltimore or Washington for the march. Yep, you read that right. There are literally planeloads and busloads full of women on the way to the capital.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPflWLcBr8K/
Everyone on my flight to Baltimore is going to the #WomensMarchOnWashington !!! pic.twitter.com/pO2uaOGZNm
— Courtney MacDonald (@Court_mac_d) January 20, 2017
A show of hands on my flight this morning of people going to the #WomensMarchOnWashington tomorrow. Many more behind me. Give 'em hell! pic.twitter.com/NffQK2Rt2K
— Mihir Patel (@ChewTeaYeah) January 20, 2017
Just asked who onboard this @AmericanAir flight was headed to the #WomensMarchOnWashington. Almost all the passengers. pic.twitter.com/wLWg67FVmk
— PRLightsey (@OneNabi) January 20, 2017
THIS IS WHAT a plane full of women who are ready to resist the Trump agenda LOOKS LIKE pic.twitter.com/jqLPNE9VOh
— ann friedman (@annfriedman) January 20, 2017
In a remarkable show of solidarity, a yuuuge number of women from north of the border are rolling in for the march.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPgyQASlRBb/
Boarding plane. Woman on plane says "anyone here going to the March?" 75% of plane: "YES!!" #WomensMarchOnWashington
— Andrea Addario (@addarioandrea) January 20, 2017
Correction. 90% of flight headed to #WomensMarchOnWashington. #planefullofnastywomen pic.twitter.com/UB4Y2xQwog
— Andrea Addario (@addarioandrea) January 20, 2017
On @AlaskaAir flight 4 with plane full of women and pussy hats. Energy is electric. #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/DTuqqdGysr
— Leslie Rugaber (@lrugaber) January 20, 2017
Air Canada flight 7616 from Toronto to DCA is filled with Canadian women in route to the #WomensMarchOnWashington ?? pic.twitter.com/n6CMKIOU51
— Tara Kriese (@tarakriese) January 20, 2017
In a lot of cases, the flight crews got in on the fun. A flight attendant on Spirit Airlines asked the passengers to applaud “all the nasty women on board” when it touched down in Baltimore.
Love a nasty woman flight attendant ? Starting our wknd of amazing women because we can't give up! @SpiritAirlines #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/bWj89inKtJ
— Flor Blake (@FlorBlake) January 20, 2017
And a Southwest Airlines flight bound from Chicago to Baltimore turned the cabin lights pink.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPdc0Klj38X/
Southwest turns on the pink lights and a loud cheer erupts. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/Ft8ukziRVk
— Jennifer MOran (@jgmoran2) January 19, 2017
This is nothing short of inspirational. If these tweets and Instagram posts are any indication, the Women’s March will be a textbook case of what democracy looks like.