30 UA students among thousands in D.C. for abortion rights event

WASHINGTON - Thirty UA students joined hundreds of thousands of activists yesterday to show their support at the March for Women's Lives pro-choice rally held at the nation's capital.

Members of Students for Choice, the Women's Studies Honorary, UA Medical Students for Choice and Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona attended the rally on the National Mall to support reproductive freedom, sex education and women's rights.

Kelly Kraus, a women's studies junior and president of the Women's Studies Honorary, said she was proud to show the nation that the UA is pro-choice because many people believe Arizona is "some little Republican state."

"I believe that it is extremely important for young people to speak out for issues that are important to them and will impact the future," said Kelley Brooks, a pre-education sophomore and member of Students for Choice.

Demonstrators cascaded through the streets of Washington, D.C., playing drums, chanting and carrying colorful signs such as "Keep your Bush out of my bush," "Pro-child, pro-family, pro-choice" and "Bush supports abstinence ... lucky Laura."

Organizers said the primary goal of the march was to send a message to political leaders and inspire the next wave of progressive movement in America.

"There have been 400 pieces of antiabortion legislation at the state level since 1995," said Katy Quissell, executive adviser to the Women's Coalition. "It's time to change the social landscape of the U.S."

I remember a day when we couldn't get safe and clean care. The idea of it going away is huge. - Whoopi Goldberg, actress and activist

The $3 million March for Women's Lives, sponsored in part by the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Women's Health Imperative and the Feminist Majority, included a two-mile march, rallies, guest speakers, informational booths and music.

"I hope that by surrounding myself with politically-minded people for two and a half days, I will be motivated to further action in my community when I return," said Jen Crispin, a philosophy graduate student and member of Students for Choice.

The March for Women's Lives was the largest demonstration in the United States since April 1992, when NOW organized a march in response to a U.S. Supreme Court case that could have resulted in overturning abortion. About half a million people attended the event.

This year, organizers expected a turnout of 750,000, but they estimated 1,150,000 people from all 50 states and 57 nations attended.

However, The Associated Press reported that police estimated between 500,000 and 800,000 people attended the event.

One-third of the marchers were college students from 600 universities across the nation.

The University of Michigan had 200 students attend in four busses, paid for by their student government and fund-raising, according to Ashwini Hardiker, a UM sophomore who organized the trip.

Celebrities also marched in the event, including Hillary Clinton, Ted Turner, Madeline Albright and Whoopi Goldberg.

"I remember a day when we couldn't get safe and clean care," said Goldberg as she walked alongside marchers. "The idea of it going away is huge."

Juliana Zuccaro, a political science and creative writing senior, said females today are used to living with rights, but the "backwards" movement threatens to undo the work done by activists years ago.

"One of the most unique things of the march was seeing generations of women," she said. "The fact that there were so many people will make a powerful difference."

Vicki Ryder, a 62-year-old member of Raging Grannies, said she remembers fighting for civil rights in the 1960s when she was in college and feels the future is safe with this next generation of women.

"Under the Bush administration, it feels like we're sliding backwards," she said. "But it excited me to see the outpouring of young people here."

Jarrel Wilkins, a music freshman with Planned Parenthood, said the diverse crowd was "the most amazing thing I've seen in my life."

"Being male, I expected there to be very few males; but it was almost 60/40," he said. "You saw people as young as infants all the way to their 80s all coming together to support one cause."

About 1,500 pro-life advocates also attended the rally, holding pictures of aborted babies alongside the march route.

"I think abortion is murder," said Sheri Sweeney, from upstate New York. "I hope to show it's wrong to kill a baby."

Parisa Morris, a first-year medical student with UA Medical Students for Choice, said the pro-life advocates employed untruthful shock tactics, but that she did not let it affect her experience at the march.

"The march was phenomenal," she said. "So motivating, so energizing, and an issue we feel really strongly about."