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Brown County women participate in St. Paul ‘Sister March’ to protest Trump policies

Staff photo by Fritz Busch About 60 women and a few men return to New Ulm from the Women’s March Minnesota in St. Paul late Saturday afternoon. The group that rode a bus to the Twin Cities and back included people from New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, St. Peter and Mankato. They were part of a national surge of marches inspired by the rhetoric of the last election they said insulted, demonized, and threatened them. St. Paul police estimate around 60,000 people participated in the march.

NEW ULM — More than 60 women and a few men rode a coach bus to St. Paul to join an estimated 60,000 people in the Women’s March Minnesota from St. Paul College to the Capitol Saturday.

Local marchers included people from New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, St. Peter and Mankato. They carried a number of signs that raised a number of issues.

Sign messages included “Moms in Mexico get paid parental leave. Why don’t I? – 2017 We are still fighting to equal rights. – Our bodies, our minds, our power. – American women under distress. We stand for our rights, safety, health and environment.” among others.

The group included retired Springfield Public School teacher Cheryl Neidt.

“As a public speaking, language arts, and family life educator, I have always been interested in societal concerns and the stories of others, particularly those involving families and children,” she said in a printed out statement.

“Most of the issues that create political divisiveness are complex and involve critical thinking, access to accurate information, and empathy for others are solutions.

“During the past election cycle, there has been too much caustic discourse and little listening to one another. I believe this has resulted in voting decisions made through short, inaccurate sound bytes.

“In the end, the best solutions to problems which consider the dignity of every human being, have been completely ignored. I stand united with those who want to acknowledge that there are better ways to care for each other through respectful dialogue about topics that currently divide us.”

Theresa Keaveny of New Ulm said the march was created to support voter and minority rights, a clean and healthful environment, respect for women, equal rights for all, health care and women’s reproductive rights.

“This wasn’t aimed at just President Donald Trump, but all elected government officials. We went to ensure our voices were heard from the grassroots level,” Keaveny said.  “We met and talked to people from all over Minnesota and some people from Canada.”

Marchers included New Ulm resident Cecelia Soler, who recently became a U.S. Citizen after immigrating from Uruguay and Rodrigo Tojo Garcia, formerly of Brazil, who moved to New Ulm two years ago.

Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com

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