On January 21, 2017, the largest protest in American history commenced in cities all over the country. As half a million people descended onto D.C, 10,000 more traveled to Connecticut's epicenter to raise their voices in solidarity. This is our story, in pictures.

The day after Trump clinched the Presidency, I was faced with a barrage of emotions, as were many of my classmates. Our professors challenged us all to make a difference through active resistance and revolutionary action, so when I heard about a protest in Hartford, I immediately signed on. Too much is at stake for us to stand idly by, and I vowed to make a difference in any way I could.

I wasn't alone, however. I convinced my mom to join me, and she ended up being just as excited about it as I. It was exhilarating to be able to stand alongside her during such a monumental occasion.

From disparate backgrounds arose a crowd of 10,000, united by the singular desire to defend the most basic principles of human dignity.

For some, it was an opportunity to revisit the tumultuous era where they came of age: civil rights, the second wave of feminism, Vietnam.

Our concerns were many: the possibility of losing control of our bodies, the repeal of the ACA, the delegitimization of same-sex marriage, the proliferation of racism and xenophobia reenforced by hateful rhetoric, the lack of respect for the disabled and mentally ill, the threat of deportation.

Yet in the face of crippling despair and grief at what could be lost...

...we chose to embrace compassion and resisted with everything we had - a calvary of love warriors.

Indeed, for the first time in a long time, hope was the word on everyone's lips.