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Marching This Weekend? Make Sure Your Bag Is Regulation

Backpacks must be clear; purses must be smaller than 8 inches.

By Cory Baldwin and Tanisha Pina Jan 18, 2017, 4:32pm EST

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As a lot of us are preparing to march for women’s rights in DC and across the country this weekend, what we’ll be wearing and what we’ll be bringing with us to the protest has become a topic of conversation around the office. Of course, this is both for practical reasons, like how to stay warm, as well as out of the desire to outwardly show solidarity, whether it’s with merch that supports women’s causes or homemade T-shirts and pins.

Something that came up this afternoon — after a reader tweeted at us to ask if we had any suggestions for fanny packs that can take you from protests to concerts — is the fact that all bags carried with you (which are subject to search, just FYI) must be of a certain size. Those not meeting regulations might be confiscated, or you might be asked to leave them behind.

According to the FAQs on the official Women’s March site, backpacks must be clear (colored translucent bags don’t count) and no larger than 17"x 12"x 6"; purses and personal bags must be smaller than 8”x 6”x 4”.

That’s pretty damn small. A mini crossbody bag will probably work, but just in case you don’t have anything that already fits the bill, here’s a quick survey of what’s available at stores you can probably find in most American cities, as well as a few smaller makers in New York and DC.

Read up on your rights as a protester and the rest of the FAQs before you pack your bag, and please read Arabelle Sicardi’s story “A Practical Beauty Guide for Fighting Facism“ for a few useful tips (like wear glasses instead contacts just in case of the unlikely possibility of tear gas). Be safe, and stay strong!