160-mile march for democracy arrives in Washington from Philadelphia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Over the span of 14 days, nearly 200 people marched from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in defense of democracy.

From children to the elderly, members of the We Are America march arrived in the nation’s capital on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon, tired but joyous, where they were greeted with hugs and cheers from supporters and members of Congress.

The mission of their sprawling walk was to unite a movement strong enough to hold America’s leaders accountable in the face of mass firings at government agencies, the federal takeover of the District of Columbia’s law enforcement and myriad disagreements with actions made by the Trump administration and the president himself.

Marchers from across the country gathered in Philadelphia, then trekked through Newark, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; Baltimore and beyond. Along the way they were housed in churches, where they slept in pews, or at people’s homes. One night the group camped outdoors.

Founding member Maggie Bohara said the marchers were warmly greeted in every community they entered, given food, water and shelter.

“It really showed that there are people who believe in what we believe in and that we’re not alone in this,” Bohara said.

80-year-old Dianne Shaw-Cummins and her son Ted Regnaud were members of the march. Shaw-Cummins, who lives in Arizona but spends the summer in Minnesota with Regnaud, said one morning her son asked how she felt about walking from Philadelphia to Washington, to which she replied, “I can do that.”

“I want better for my grandchildren. I want better for my children. I want better for all people that live and breathe in the United States of America,” she said.

Speaking to the marchers shortly after their arrival, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, likened the march to Bloody Sunday, the day in 1965 when civil rights activists marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and were attacked by law enforcement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

“You marched on 160 miles, and today you are now bringing the Edmund Pettus Bridge moment to Washington, D.C. You’re bringing it to fruition,” Green said.

The marchers carried a version of the U.S. Constitution with them that was created by children from across the country. They gifted it to Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., after they arrived in Washington. Van Hollen sprang into the national spotlight in April when he flew to El Salvador to meet with his constituent, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported by the Trump administration in March.

Founding We Are America member MJ Tune said they carried the Constitution to remind elected officials of their oath to defend it against enemies, both foreign and domestic.

“We also wanted to build a sense of community on this March. Right now we feel like so many people in America have lost a sense of community, and community is essential to creating a movement that can sustain long-term nonviolent action, which is our ultimate goal,” Tune said.