Sunday April 25, 4:43 pm ET
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: www.marchforwomen.org