About 500 people in Long Beach, as part of more than 600 events across the U.S. the Women’s March National initiated, on Saturday, Oct. 2, marched and rallied downtown for women’s reproductive rights, in response to recent anti-abortion laws in Texas and Mississippi.
The marchers started on their less-than-a-mile march at the Los Angeles County, Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, 275 Magnolia Ave. From the courthouse, they walked on the sidewalk south toward Ocean Boulevard. From Ocean they turned east toward The Promenade North. From there, they went north toward Harvey Milk Promenade Park, 185 E. Third St., where they heard music and speakers, many of whom were locally elected officials.
Molly Watson, of the California Black Women’s Democratic Club, emceed at the rally at the courthouse and at the park. At the courthouse, Watson led call-and-response chants: Watson shouted, “My Body” and crowd responded with “My decision;” Watson shouted, “Abortion” and the crowd yelled, “Justice.” Another chant consisted of the call of “Hands off” with the response of “My body.”
After the chants, Watson said, “I would be remiss to not go ahead and pay attention to the disparities that we see every single day in particularly here Long Beach as well. We know that black women, brown women, indigenous women have higher rates of death, complications when they are pregnant, when they give birth. We know that access to affordable healthcare is not there for everybody. We know that reproductive rights for a very long time has been a white women’s issue and there are lot of us here who are ready to take a lot of that back. It’s about all of us.”
In a press release of Sept. 24, from the Long Beach March for Reproductive Rights, former 2nd District Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce, said, “The current attacks on women’s reproductive rights are one part of the efforts to suppress the voices of women and people of color. Suppressing voices is clearly an example of oppression. I urge Congress to act to ensure women remain in control of their bodies. Women refuse to be victims of state oppression. We stand together to make sure we retain control of our bodies and our lives.”
On Sept. 28, Christina Sergy, who characterized herself as a host of the march, in an email, said, “We are so proud to see Long Beach come together so quickly to send a message that Congress must pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (The act codifies the right to an abortion in every state.) and the EACH Act to end the Hyde Amendment (The amendment bans federal funding for abortion except for rape, incest or threat to a women’s life, according to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund).”
According to the “Press-Telegram” of Sept. 29, the march was planned by The Women of Long Beach Political Action Committee, the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance and the Long Beach Resister Sisters.
According to the same press release of Sept. 24, the march was sponsored by Mayor Robert Garcia, Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, Councilmembers: Cindy Allen and Suely Saro, the Democratic Women’s Study Club, the Long Beach Young Democrats, the Long Beach Gray Panthers, Planned Parenthood, the National Association of Social Workers California Chapter, the California Working Families’ Party and the Yes We Can Democratic Club.
Barry Saks 
THANX FOR THE HEADS UP. HOPE YOUR DOING WELL. I’M OK.
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