Jewish celebrities take on Trump at post-inauguration rallies

Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Debra Messing and Amy Schumer among those delivering speeches, demonstrating in Women's Marches across the US.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: JANUARY 22, 2017 13:54
Actor Natalie Portman speaks onstage at the Women's March in Los Angeles on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California (photo credit: EMMA MCINTYRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Actor Natalie Portman speaks onstage at the Women's March in Los Angeles on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California
(photo credit: EMMA MCINTYRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Israeli-born Hollywood star Natalie Portman was among the various outspoken Jewish celebrities who joined the masses of protesters rallying across the US and around the world on Saturday, the day after new US President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Portman, who is pregnant with her second child, delivered am impassioned speech to cheering crowds at the Women's March in Los Angeles.
The 35-year-old Jerusalem native spoke ardently about women's rights and equality, sarcastically thanking Trump for sparking a "revolution" of rights activists who have staunchly demonstrated in opposition of Trump, his lewd past remarks and his slated policies regarding women.

"We need to take inspiration from nature, and remember that we hold the mystery of life, and the seed of every possibility within our bodies," said Portman. "We need to demand freedom from fear over our bodies and control over our own bodies."
During her speech, the Jackie star also called for more women to seek positions of power, and support their fellow females in that pursuit.
"Until we make it normal to have at least half, if not more, of our leaders be female, we will be serving, and with our taxes financing, a government that believes it's within their domain to make decisions for our future," she stated.

The actress thanked those who took to the streets to voice their opinions, and also lauded those men who came out in support of feminism and equal rights.
"Now, from the bottom of both hearts beating inside my miraculous female body, I want to thank our new president. You just started the revolution," she concluded, triumphantly raising her microphone.

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Meanwhile on Saturday, Jewish American actress Scarlett Johansson presented a fiery speech to the approximately half a million demonstrators in Washington.

Her address, which centered on urging support for women's health and Planned Parenthood, which Trump seeks to defund, was cut off early after an alleged sound failure.
Also in attendance at the Washington rally were Jewish comedian-actresses Debra Messing and Amy Schumer, who donned an orange NASA outfit in support of a "Wear Orange" campaign on gun violence awareness.

Girls creator Lena Dunham reportedly drove a pink-painted bus along with her mother and friends to the march in Washington.
"All those powerful women. All those people who love them. All demanding more. All across America. Prettiest sight these eyes ever did see," she wrote in a series of Twitter posts.
"So that our daughters will know their bodies are their own. So our sons embody gentle strength. So they can dismiss both labels #WhyIMarch," he also said.

In addition, Jewish comedian Chelsea Handler was among the celebrity leaders at the Sundance edition of the Women's March in Park City, Utah.
"If there is a silver lining to be found in this past election, it is that it opened our eyes to the amount of work that still needs to be done. If the election had gone the other way, maybe we would’ve grown complacent,"  she told the crowd gathered in the snow. "So the groundswell that we needed from that election is happening now."



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