Free America Walkout protests planned for Champaign and Urbana on January 20
Local organizers are planning simultaneous Free America Walkout events in Champaign and Urbana, aligned with a national Women’s March action.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Protesters march through the streets of downtown Chicago during the 2017 Women's March on Chicago on a beautiful day on January 21. An estimated 250,000 people took to the streets on the day after of Donald Trump's first inauguration. This event was part of a global Women's March movement, making it one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history at the time. The Women's March is organizing a national walkout for later this month.
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Two protests organized under the banner of the “Free America Walkout” are scheduled to take place simultaneously in Champaign and Urbana on January 20, part of a nationwide day of action promoted by Women’s March.
The Free America Walkout calls on participants to leave work, school, and commerce at 2 p.m. local time to demonstrate support for what organizers describe as American democratic values. According to the Women’s March website, a total of 903 protests are planned nationwide during the walkout.
In Champaign-Urbana, organizers have planned two separate but concurrent events, one in Champaign near Parkland College and another on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana. Similar events are also planned in other Illinois cities. Joliet, Peoria, Springfield, Ottawa, and Chicago have organized walkouts scheduled at the same time.
The Champaign walkout will begin at 2 p.m. at the parking lot of the Dodds Softball Complex, located south of Parkland Way. Participants are asked to gather at the lot and, around 2:20 p.m., begin walking toward Mattis Avenue along Parkland Way. Organizers say participants may choose to remain at the corner of Mattis Avenue and Parkland Way to wave signs and chant or walk back toward Perimeter Road with the group. The event is expected to conclude around 3 p.m.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Protesters march along Illinois Street in Urbana at the October No Kings protest. In addition to the Free America Walkout, Champaign will host a Cold & Bold - March for America on Sunday, January 18.
Organizers note there are no sidewalks along portions of the route, but say it is walkable. Public Safety has been informed of the event and has asked participants to respect roadways and the flow of traffic. Those unable to walk the route are encouraged to participate by remaining in the parking lot, forming a caravan, or sitting along Parkland Way and joining in as the group passes.
Signs, musical instruments, and chanting are encouraged but not required, and chanting sheets will be available. Participants are asked to dress appropriately for the weather and use caution along roadways. Organizers emphasize that a core principle of the event is a commitment to nonviolent action and de-escalation. Weapons of any kind, including legally permitted ones, are not to be brought to the event.
At the same time, a second Free America Walkout will take place on the University of Illinois campus. The campus protest is scheduled to gather at 2 p.m. on the Main Quad, located at 607 South Mathews Avenue in Urbana.
Organizers of the campus event describe the walkout as a response to what they characterize as an escalating threat to communities one year into President Donald Trump’s second term. In statements provided by organizers, they reference raids, military presence in cities, immigration enforcement, mass surveillance, and other actions as reasons for the protest. They describe the walkout as both a protest and a promise, calling on participants to turn away from what they label fascism and disrupt “the normal routines of power.”
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Unlike the weather for the 2017 Chicago Women's March and past protests since President Trump has taken office for his second term, the forecast calls for a high of just 20 degrees on the day of both protests in Champaign-Urbana. Organizers urge participants to dress appropriately for the weather and be careful along all roadways.
The Women’s March website echoes similar language, stating that participants nationwide are being asked to withhold labor, participation, and consent during the walkout. “A free America begins the moment we refuse to cooperate,” the organization states, describing the event as a coordinated national action occurring at the same time across hundreds of locations.
Both Champaign-Urbana events are scheduled for January 20 at 2 p.m., aligning with the broader national effort. Organizers for both protests emphasize participation, collective expression, and adherence to nonviolent principles as central to the day’s activities.
For additional information about the Parkland College-area protest, organizers list Katie Schacht as a contact at schachtkl@gmail.com. For more information on the campus protest, use the contact link found on the page.
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