COTTAGE GROVE – On International Women’s Day 2026, held on March 8, thousands of protesters globally joined marches to demand gender equality, an end to sexual violence, and call for peace. About a dozen community members gathered in downtown Cottage Grove to showcase women’s collective power to resist, spotlight the impact of noncompliance, and express their determination to create a better world. Lisa Bourgault organized the event at All-American Square, which attracted locals and residents from nearby Roseburg, including Bari Isaacwon and Lauren Schroder.
Among those present was city councilor Dana Merryday.
Suzanne Phillips held a sign quoting the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg that read, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” Ginsburg, an influential American lawyer and jurist, served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her passing in 2020.
Other signs called for transparency around the Epstein files, demanding an end to the current war in Iran, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and respect for women’s rights.
