'Pussyhats' on! Nanaimo shows solidarity with Women's March on Washington

It's a way to show solidarity with the Women's March on Washington.

The day after Donald Trump is inaugurated as president of the U.S., marches will be held in cities across North America, including Vancouver,Nanaimo and Victoria.

Sonnet L'Abbe is the Nanaimo spokeswoman for the Canadian Women's March on Washingtonand she says 250 people have already signed up for Saturday's event in her city.

Thousands are also expected to march in Vancouver and Victoria.

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"I think it's import to join in solidaritywith the women who are marching in Washington and the women who are marching around the globe," saidL'Abbe.

"Here in Nanaimo, we have a lot of women who share similar values and want to participate and want to have our voices heard too."

L'Abbe says the march is a way to show support for women in leadership and to promote Canadian values of diversity and inclusivity.

"We are very proud of that. We want to continue thatand have any sort of values of divisiveness and hate stop at the border."

For Saturday's event. L'Abbe will be wearing her hand-knit"Pussyhat."

Become agents of change

The Pussyhat project started in response to a 2005 video leading during the U.S. election ofDonald Trumptalking about groping women.

"Immediately there were pussy-grabs-back hashtags women just embracing that.If it is going to be a word that is going to be used, then we will use it in an active senseand become agents of change with it."

L'Abbe says marches will take place in 20 Canadian cities on Saturday.

The Nanaimo event starts at 10 am at Diana Krall Plaza.

There is also a rally and march being held in Vancouver at 10 a.m. that will start at Jack Poole Plaza before moving on to the U.S. consulate, as well as one inVictoria on Saturday afternoon that will begin at Centennial Square.