On eve of Trump’s inauguration, group rallies for women and sexual assault survivors outside L.A. City Hall

Friday’s presidential inauguration of Donald Trump inspired a rally outside L.A. City Hall on Thursday, where women and survivors of sexual assault expressed their fears about the president-elect’s attitude toward women.

About 20 people gathered for the afternoon event, where survivors shared their stories and described the renewed urgency they felt to protect women’s health and safety.

“A lot of our programs are under attack,” one woman said. “We are going to fight back. We have no other choice.”

She was surrounded by others holding signs. “My body, my choice,” many read. “Keep your tiny hands to yourself,” read another, a reference to a dig against Trump levied by one of his opponents during the primary race.

Trump has repeatedly been criticized for his remarks about women. That criticism flared during the campaign, when a recording of Trump bragging about groping women surfaced. Several women then publicly accused Trump of assaulting them.

Thousands of people are expected to march Saturday in Washington, D.C., in support of women’s rights, with sister protests anticipated in other cities across the country.

Keyanna Celina, an East L.A. resident, said she organized Thursday’s rally at City Hall because of Trump’s comments. As a survivor of sexual assault, the 32-year-old said she was appalled when Trump won the election.

“He said a lot of disgusting things about women … and people still voted for him. There’s still a movement for him,” Celina said. “As women, we have to stick together and push back.”

Timeka Drew, the national director for Liberty Tree Foundation, a group that promotes grass-roots organization, said she doesn’t even like to say the name of the president-elect. Drew, who lives in South L.A., said she felt a particular urgency in rallying women to protect their health and safety. After having three boys, she is pregnant with her first daughter.

Drew said she hoped the movement would last beyond the inauguration. She wants people to keep talking to each other about women’s rights and find ways to protect them.

“I hope that it just doesn’t end with marches and rallies,” she said.

As Celina spoke, one of her daughters skipped through the crowd. Her husband watched from behind a row of reporters, holding their younger daughter in one arm and a sign in another.

“Union members for women’s equality,” it read.

“I want to do this so that my daughters never have to worry,” Celina said in a later interview. “I just hope this soaks into them and that they always feel empowered to say no and to fight back and not be afraid.”

kate.mather@latimes.com

@katemather