On one of Portland’s hottest days of the year with 90-degree temperatures, almost 400 people marched on Southeast Portland roads Saturday protesting the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and calling for action.
The abortion rights protesters initially gathered at Colonel Summers Park, where about 100 people stood under a tree to hear from speakers with the Portland branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which organized the event.
Amanda Buckle, 28, stood near the edge of the park with her husband, Spencer, and 2-year-old son Robinson. She held signs in Spanish that read “we won’t stop.” Looking at her son, she said she’s “literally seeing the future in front of me and wanting better for them and their peers.”
The crowd included many young people, families, children and some who were alive when abortion became legal nationwide nearly 50 years ago. The march marks the second major abortion rights rally in Portland after Friday’s protest organized by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon and the Democratic Socialists of America.
Organizers who spoke at the park called the moment a time for people to rise up and not allow longstanding institutions like the Supreme Court to determine their fate.
“This is not the end of the attack on our rights,” said Maggie Mae, one of the organizers. “The Supreme Court wants to overturn contraception, marriage equality and wants to make it absolutely impossible to pass any pro-choice legislation.”
Maria Hermsen, another organizer, criticized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote a concurring opinion that many precedents should be reconsidered including same-sex marriage. Audible boos were heard amongst the crowd when his name was mentioned, along with one person yelling “impeach him.”
“Will we continue to allow this repressive reactionary institution to decide our fate? Or is it time to once again stand up, fight back and declare in one voice that we demand the human rights that are owed to us,” Hermsen asked.
The crowd then began to march on the streets. Alex Privee, 38, was one of hundreds marching on the streets. They had a purple wolf hand puppet, which was wearing a leather jacket and held a sign that read “bodily autonomy now.”
“I’m just here to sort of encourage and bring a little bit of joy to this otherwise kind of somber day,” Privee said.
Marchers made their way from Colonel Summers Park to the west side of Revolution Hall, where almost 400 people gathered to listen to more speakers. Speakers shared their own experiences. Ana Shimp, 27, said she had an abortion six years ago.
“I just moved across the country. I couldn’t afford a kid,” Shimp said. “I had no support system here. I consider myself luckier than many though, because even though I was broke I managed to be able to afford the insanely high price of terminating an unwanted pregnancy.”
Organizers emphasized the importance of continuing to fight for change, saying the true power is with the people not with those in power. “The people united will never be defeated,” the crowd chanted.
The crowd dwindled soon after the speeches were over as organizers held an open-microphone session for others to speak. As people began to disperse, they repeated one final chant three times.
“When abortion rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.”
—Zaeem Shaikh; mshaikh@oregonian.com; 503-221-8111; @zaeemshake
