The First Amendment is alive and well in Chicago, as thousands of women and their allies will brave the cold to rally downtown on January 21 in solidarity with others around the world who defend and further women’s rights. The Women’s March on Chicago honors women’s marches planned for Washington D.C. and dozens of other U.S. cities on January 21, the day after the presidential inauguration, to make their diverse voices heard by a new administration. Chicago marchers will stand together for women’s civil liberties and rights and to signal that their diverse communities are the strength of our country. Organizers have received conditional approval from the Chicago Park District to convene at 10 a.m. at Petrillo Bandshell in Grant Park. More information on the march route and concluding rally location will follow. The grassroots effort started in mid-November 2016 when several women met online and felt compelled to combat the divisive rhetoric of the presidential campaign. In five weeks, more than 22,000 interested marchers have connected online. Nearly 10,000 people registered with the official Facebook page of the event within 48 hours of the launch earlier this week. For more information, please visit the website: womens121marchonchicago.org, or go to the Facebook page: womensmarchonchicago.