Hundreds gather at Women’s Day rally in Crystal Lake, decry federal cuts they say harm ‘most vulnerable’

Several hundred protesters lined Route 14 in Crystal Lake on Saturday for a McHenry County National Organization for Women event dubbed “United We Resist.”

Attendees at the event, which took place on International Women’s Day, held signs in support of abortion rights and Ukraine and in opposition to Social Security cuts and the Department of Government Efficiency, among other things.

Diane Jacobson said Saturday was her first time at a protest; it had been on her radar for a couple of weeks and she said she had been looking forward to coming out and protesting.

Some of the issues she mentioned included supporting abortion rights, federal workers and veterans, and that she wanted Elon Musk, his Department on Government Efficiency and Russian President Vladimir Putin out of power.

Jill Murtagh was at the rally alongside her mother, Rita Popenhagen, and her daughter Phoebe, Murtagh.

“This is very impressive,” Jill Murtagh said, adding that, from her standpoint, the protesters got a surprising amount of support, given McHenry County’s conservative lean.

Murtagh said it was her first time attending such an event in the suburbs. She had a sign that read, “My body is nunya biz,” while the sign her daughter carried said, “An army of lovers shall not fail.” Popenhagen’s sign was a nod to the rally name: “United We Resist.”

Attendee Dick Hattan said he is a veteran and was at the event in support of veterans’ rights. He said he wanted to make sure his health care was “intact.”

Despite Republican leaders having warned that the GOP is losing ground in McHenry County, the last county to vote Republican in 2024 in the Chicago area, Republican County Board chair Mike Buehler and Coroner Michael Rein were reelected this past fall by double-digit margins. Those were the only countywide contested races, but the rest of the countywide elected officers also are Republicans, and the party enjoys a 15-3 supermajority on the County Board.

President Donald Trump won the 2024 election in the county by more than 5 percentage points over then-Vice President Kamala Harris, improving on his 2020 performance in McHenry County. But the county was also very split in November, with Trump winning about 51.5% of the vote.

Many passersby gave the protesters a thumbs-up or supportive honks Saturday, but some drivers also gave the finger or other negative reactions. No counter-protesters were spotted during the event.

In a statement to the Northwest Herald, NOW noted that Saturday was Women’s Day and said the theme “calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power, and opportunities for all, and a future where no one is left behind.”

The organization added that it was fitting to join groups nationwide to send a message to elected officials that “we are fully aware that none of what is happening is normal, and we see that you are bypassing Congress.”

In the statement, the organization mentioned various issues that also brought attendees out to protest. Those included opposing the Musk-led DOGE – although the statement did not mention the group by name – and its cuts or proposed cuts to programs and the federal workforce that the organization said could affect groups including women, veterans, seniors, nonprofits, low-income families, college students and farming communities.

“The purging of tens of thousands of federal workers from the departments left standing that provide essential services to the tens of millions of Americans from those affected groups is reckless, especially when the administration has presented no alternative plans to ensure our most vulnerable will continue to receive the care they so desperately need.”

About half an hour after the protest began, McHenry County NOW President Dee Darling estimated about 445 people had arrived at the rally. Darling said it was “nice to see our community coming together.” The group later shared a Facebook post that said more than 700 people were there at the last count. She added she didn’t care about political parties and it was more about being there for the community.

“We encourage everyone to contact their House and Senate representatives and ask them to resist these attacks, including the continuous attacks on legislation that protects women’s physical safety, health, bodily autonomy and economic security.”