On a clear sunny day, over 2,000 people marched from Folger Park to Capitol Hill in support of abortion access. On Saturday, Oct. 8, the Women’s March led over 450 marches in all 50 states. The march was held just a month away from the midterm elections in an attempt to encourage voting for pro-choice politicians.
The Women’s March originally started in 2017, the day after Former President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Since then, the organization has had many marches and other forms of political activism, such as conventions and events. The Supreme Court overturned the precedent established by Roe vs. Wade in June that allowed people to have access to abortion on a federal level. This sparked massive controversy and the recent protest.
Signs for the event featured rhetoric such as, “This is my country, not your church,” “Roevember is coming,” “Rage for Roe” and “We are the daughters of the witches you never burned.” There were creative signs and outfits to express what everyone thought. One woman wore a cow costume and held a sign that said “Women aren’t for breeding.”
The march started in Folger Park at 11 a.m., with many speakers and singers to promote the protection of choice. The theme for the march was the “Women’s Wave,” encouraging protestors to come dressed in blue and with signs of waves. The idea was to express that this protest was a tsunami for protecting the right to an abortion. The saying of the march was “Roe, Roe, Roe, your vote.”
At 1 p.m., the protestors marched from Folger Park to Union Square. There happened to be a small pro-life movement, seemingly protesting the Women’s March occurring. These people have labeled themselves as the “Post-Roe generation.” However, once the march started to come down Washington Avenue, they quickly dispersed.
The wave of people coming down Washington Avenue was enormous, spanning across the entire roadway. The end of the line for the march could not be seen. The protestors screamed chants such as, “Thank God for abortion,” “Get your rosaries off my ovaries” and “Stand up, fight back!”
Although the Women’s March discouraged wearing or having anything to do with the “Handmaid’s Tale,” there were a few protestors dressed in robes referring to the novel.
The Women’s March says on its website, “this message continues to create more fragmentation, often around race and class, because it erases the fact that Black women, undocumented women, incarcerated women, poor women and disabled women have always had their reproduction freedom controlled in this country. This is not a dystopian past or future.”
With the 2,000+ there, the energy was high and full of spirit. The hope of the Women’s March is that the “Women’s Wave” continues all the way to the polls in a month’s time, as voting is more important than ever before.
Make sure to register for your absentee ballot or check your registration status prior to voting on November 8th.