Genevieve Curtis, organizer of the event, said that she, like many others, wanted to celebrate the first anniversary of the Women’s March on Washington

Annie Muscato, a mother and Ph.D student attending the University of Florida, told those gathered at Bo Diddley Plaza on Sunday for the Celebration of Women event that while many are familiar with the fable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” fewer people are aware of the Greek myth of Apollo and Cassandra.

When Cassandra declined the advances of the god Apollo, he cursed her so that no one would ever believe her, which is something that many women can relate to, Muscato said.

"We have all been a Cassandra," she said.

"We have to speak the truth anyway," she told the crowd. “We have to say #metoo, and that matters because then all of us who thought we were alone will know that we never really were. It matters to say this happened to me… because that is the only way we can heal and inspire change."

While some people from the Gainesville area took the trip to Las Vegas or other cities to march in solidarity on Sunday with women in recognition of the 2017 Women's March on Washington, others stayed right here in town for the event and march.

Genevieve Curtis, organizer of the event, said that she, like many others, was unable to go to Orlando or other locations, but wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the Women’s March while also providing an opportunity to refocus local activists' objectives.

"I know that everybody is exhausted and is suffering fatigue from this administration, but I wanted us to be re-energized and reinvigorated,” she said. “I want people to know that there are people out there in our community who are fighting the good fight."

The crowd, which featured people of varying backgrounds and all genders, with many of them wearing pink clothing or accessories, nearly filled the entire plaza.

“I was astounded by how many people from Gainesville and outside the city showed up to show their support,” Curtis said. “It was so heartwarming to see that there’s so many people that care about women’s issues and rights.”

Although there were numerous protest signs, some stood out from among the crowd, such as one that read, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Czar Putin Put You Where You Are.”

Others eschewed humor in order to express a more severe sentiment, such as a sign that read “Slay the Patriarchy.”.

Others, such as “Men of Quality Do Not Fear Equality,” showed that the women’s rights movement has male supporters, too.

Organizations with booths at the event included Indivisible Gainesville and Planned Parenthood, both of which handed out various literature and even accepted donations of feminine hygiene products that were given to Be The Kind of Gainesville, a group that accepts items for those in need.

A little more than $1,000 was raised during the event, Curtis said, which will cover costs associated with the event with the rest benefitting Peaceful Paths, a local nonprofit domestic violence center.

Speakers spoke about a range of topics, from education and political change to issues surrounding sexual abuse and domestic violence. Some even used spoken word poetry to convey their womanhood or to make a political point.

Olysha Magruder, a Democrat who is running for the District 8 Florida Senate seat against Republican incumbent Keith Perry, was one of the speakers at Sunday’s event.

"We are here today because we choose justice. We choose love over hate. We choose hope over cynicism and fear," she said to the crowd, which responded with booming applause. "We believe in the collective power of people over the almighty dollar. And we believe that women have a right to make our own choices for our health care."

Magruder went on to lambast Republicans for their efforts to rollback women’s rights and LGBTQ rights, as well as other issues, such as net neutrality, health care and immigration.

“But we have not let them go unchallenged,” she said. “We have seen that all of us together have raised our collective voices and ... have made those in power listen to us.”

As the last speaker left the stage, organizer Curtis took to the stage to announce the march, which consisted of those participating marching from the downtown plaza to Southwest 13th Street and back.

Marchers shouted protest chants, such as the familiar, “Show me what democracy looks like," "This is what democracy looks like!” or the more creative, “We need a leader, not a freaking tweeter.”

Marchers shouted these and other chants in unison as they proudly displayed their signs to oncoming traffic as the cars honked back in appreciation or objection.

After marching back to the plaza, many left, but others could be seen gathering on the grass or speaking in groups on the sidewalk.

Christine Engles, a teacher living in Gainesville, attended the march with her 10-year-old daughter, Beatriz, and some friends.

Engles said she came to the march this year after attending similar events last year, which she said were empowering.

"I feel like we need to show what we think and act on the discontent that we are feeling about how things are being run," she said.

Beatriz said she really enjoyed making signs for the event and found the shouting to be exciting. She also said that she enjoyed the activism itself.

"I just like how people are fighting for women's rights," she said.