Official Crowd Count Largest Ever for Women's Rights Rally in
The Nation's Capitol
WASHINGTON, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- An estimated 1,150,000 descended on
the National Mall in Washington, D.C. today to give an urgent wake-up call to
government leaders and the nation-women's lives are at risk and lawmakers stop
intruding on a woman's right to access critical reproductive health services
and make deeply personal decisions about her health and life.
The March for Women's Lives was led by seven organizing groups: American
Civil Liberties Union, Black Women's Health Imperative, Feminist Majority,
NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health,
National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Following are highlights excerpted from remarks given by the
organization's leaders at the March:
"The government does not belong in our bedrooms. It does not belong in
our doctors' offices. It does not belong in the bank accounts of innocent
Americans, and should not have the power to monitor their e-mail, or track
their bookstore purchases, or scrutinize the books they check out of local
libraries," said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU). "Our fundamental right to privacy is under serious
attack by this government."
"This historic march is sending an unmistakable message: women's rights
and women's lives are non-negotiable," stated Eleanor Smeal, president of the
Feminist Majority. "We are building an expanded and inclusive movement that
will make women's reproductive rights-just like social security-a third rail
of politics."
"My friends -- make no mistake. There is a war on choice. We didn't
start it, but we are going to win it!" said Gloria Feldt, president of Planned
Parenthood Federation of America. "They're not just after abortion rights.
This is a full-throttle war on your very health-on your access to real sex
education, birth control, medical privacy, and life-saving research."
"My greatest wish is that there would never be another political debate
about the right to choose," said Kate Michelman, president of NARAL Pro-Choice
America. "But history teaches us that every right-no matter how basic-is
always at risk. And I'm confident that the young people who have lead this
march today will lead our movement in a new wave of activism that will keep
the right to choose alive for the next generation."
"This March is a giant wake up call," said Kim Gandy, president of the
National Organization for Women (NOW). "We won't go back to 1968 when women
couldn't buy birth control; we won't go back to 1972 when women were dying
from illegal abortions. We're marching for our rights before it's too late."
"The reproductive health of Black women is in a state of crisis. Black
women are suffering and dying too often, too soon and needlessly," said Dr.
Lorraine Cole, president and CEO of the Black Women's Health Imperative.
"When we leave here today, let's turn pain into promise, let's turn promise
into partnership and let's turn partnership into power."
"We demand an end to coercive and punitive policies that prevent us from
making informed decisions about our health, our lives and our futures!" said
Silvia Henriquez, executive director of the National Latina Institute of
Reproductive Health. "We envision a day when no Latina will live in a climate
of fear and oppression, when every person has access to comprehensive and
affordable health care. That is reproductive justice!"
Using standard crowd estimate methods, March participants were counted in
designated grids on the National Mall, which are designed to hold a
predetermined number of people. The March also verified this count by
assigning 2,500 volunteers to stand at key entry points to the March area and
at bus drop-off locations and count people by placing March stickers on
participants as they entered these entry points.
For more information on the March for Women's Lives, visit:
http://www.marchforwomen.org.
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SOURCE March for Women's Lives
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Related links:
www.marchforwomen.org
CONTACT:
Aimee Segal or Joe Wagner, +1-202-572-2883,
press@marchforwomen.org, both for March for Women's Lives
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