Abortion rights activists hit Washington for march

By Andrea Damewood

The Daily Northwestern

Washington — The first large-scale abortion rights demonstration in more than a decade included about 85 Northwestern students all with one message: “Keep U.S. intervention out of my uterus.”

Two buses from NU, one from the Fiedler Hillel Center and another organized by the Women’s Coalition, made the 13-hour, overnight drive to the March for Women’s Lives on Sunday. The Evanston chapter of the National Organization for Women also sent a delegation to the demonstration.

About 500,000 to 800,000 people attended the rally, according to the Associated Press. The event was sponsored by Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women, as well as several other groups. Leaders said the march was inspired by a need for action in this election year.

Organizers stressed that in the next four years, several Supreme Court justice positions will open up, which — if filled by conservative justices — could threaten the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision upholding abortion rights.

“Women’s reproductive rights are being eroded by the current administration and I think it’s important for students to get out and get involved,” said Becky Miller, a Weinberg sophomore.

The mile-long area from the Washington Monument to the Capitol Building was packed with marchers, waving banners and chanting verses such as, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, George Bush has got to go.”

The event began at about 12:30 p.m., with participants marching around the Washington Monument and the White House before beginning to dissipate at about 4 p.m. Activists from NU carried signs sporting slogans such as: “The only Bush I trust is my own,” “My Bush is Pro-Choice,” “I talked to God, she’s Pro-Choice.”

“It was overwhelming,” said Cathy D’Avanzato, an Education junior and Women’s Coalition program coordinator. “It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done in my life. So many people turned out, so many celebrities and young women under 25.”

But abortion protesters also lined Pennsylvania Avenue to counter the mass march — many displaying signs with pictures of aborted fetuses. Rows of Catholic priests stood and silently blessed the marchers as they passed.

“I’m here trying to present truth to people and remind them that there are consequences to their actions and show what an abortion looks like,” said Nathan Radcliffe, 25, a member of the Ohio-based Minutemen United, as he stood holding a sign that depicted a bloody fetus. “I’m trying to get people to take responsibility for the genocide.”

NU’s Students For Life group did not send any abortion protesters to Washington, D.C., said Justin Tackett, a Weinberg freshman and member of the group.

The rally featured guest speakers including Cybill Shepherd, Ana Gasteyer, Janeane Garofalo and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Spoken-word poets and Moby also entertained the crowd.

“I believe we are making history with all of my heart,” said Gasteyer, Communication ’89, to thunderous applause. “The most important thing is to go out on Nov. 2 and vote the pro-choice ballot.”

WoCo’s D’Avanzato said the group’s next major project will be to register voters and encourage them to vote for abortion rights.

“The most important thing is that we don’t take our right to choose for granted,” said Rae Feshbach, a Communication junior. “If we come out and say, ‘There are (thousands of) people who are willing to come down here,’ that shows this is an issue we care about.'”

“The government we have right now is not promoting freedom, so we have to do something about that,” said Evan Bradley, a Weinberg junior. “The whole issue is a lot bigger than abortion … It’s about women’s rights.”

For Kate Roberts, a Communication senior, the march was personal.

“One of my relatives had an abortion a couple years ago,” she said holding a protest sign high above her head. “I had friends that have been taken advantage of by guys. I’ve had friends that have had problems with their (birth-control) pills. There’s so many reasons for this.”