On January 21st, 2017 hundreds of thousands of individuals showed up to participate in The Women’s March in Washington, DC, with estimates as high as 470,000 participants. Citizens marched with banners and signs and with political messages printed on their clothing. Some messages called for unity and peace, some expressed disdain with leadership, some critiqued the lack of inclusivity within the movement, and some did all three. Through interviews with participants in the march and coding for frame alignment processes of over 100 signs, banners, and other props used at the March, this study aims to illuminate how these articles contributed to the sense of connection between participants during the march. The project sheds light on processes that create cohesion during social protests.
