March for Women's Lives (2004): Difference between revisions

{{Short description|2004 massMass demonstration for women's rights in Washington, D.C.}}

The '''March for Women's Lives''' was a protest demonstration held on April 25, 2004 at the [[National Mall]] in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, D. C.]] There was approximately 1.3 million participants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.democracynow.org/2004/4/26/march_for_womens_lives_up_to|title=March For Women’sWomen's Lives: Up to a Million Descend on DC in One of the Largest Protests in U.S. History|website=Democracy Now!|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26}}</ref> The demonstration was led by seven groups; [[National Organization for Women]], [[American Civil Liberties Union]], [[Black Women’s Health Imperative]], [[Feminist Majority Foundation|Feminist Majority]], [[NARAL Pro-Choice America|NARAL Pro Choice America]], [[National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health]], and [[Planned Parenthood|Planned Parenthood Federation of America]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://now.org/blog/over-one-million-march-for-womens-lives/|title=Flashback: Over One Million March for Women's Lives {{!}} National Organization for Women|website=now.org|date=25 April 2014 |access-date=2019-10-26}}</ref> The march was intended to address topics such as [[abortion rights]], [[Reproductive rights|reproductive health care]], [[women's rights]], and others.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.now.org/history/protests.html#2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213206/http://www.now.org/history/protests.html#2004|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-09-27|title=History of Marches and Mass Actions|date=2007-09-27|access-date=2019-10-26}}</ref> Originally named the March for Freedom, the march was renamed in an effort to expand the message of "pro-choice" to include the right to have children, access to pre and post natal care, as well as sex education that were not always accessible for women of color. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Collection: Records of the March for Women's Lives, 1988-20041988–2004 (inclusive), 2003-20042003–2004 (bulk) {{!}} HOLLIS for |url=https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/8/resources/6251 |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu}}</ref>

A rally on the Mall began at 10 a.m., and was followed by a march through downtown Washington, with a route along [[Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Pennsylvania Avenue]]. Celebrities who appeared at the march included [[Peter, Paul and Mary|Peter, Paul, and Mary]], [[Indigo Girls]], [[Judy Gorman]], [[Susan Sarandon]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Ashley Judd]], [[Kathleen Turner]], [[Ted Turner]], [[Ana Gasteyer]], [[Janeane Garofalo]], [[Bonnie Franklin]], [[Julianne Moore]], and former Secretary of State [[Madeleine Albright]]; also appearing were veteran abortion rights leaders, such as [[Kate Michelman]] of [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]] and [[Gloria Steinem]], and many members of Congress.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2014-04-25 |title=Flashback: Over One Million March for Women's Lives {{!}} National Organization for Women |url=https://now.org/blog/over-one-million-march-for-womens-lives/ |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=now.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

The march was led by seven organizing groups: [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW), [[American Civil Liberties Union]], [[Black Women’s Health Imperative|Black Women's Health Imperative]], [[Feminist Majority Foundation]], [[NARAL Pro-Choice America|NARAL Pro Choice America]], [[National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice|National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health]], and [[Planned Parenthood]] Federation of America. More than 1,400 organizations co- sponsored the event including [[Choice USA]], the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]], [[Code Pink]], and the [[National Association of Social Workers|National association of Social Workers]].<ref name=":1" /> Two other groups that assisted in organizing women of color included the National Network of Abortion Funds [https://abortionfunds.org/] and Sister Song [https://www.sistersong.net/].

Sixteen protesters from the Christian Defense Coalition were arrested for demonstrating without a permit when they crossed police barricades into the area designated for the March.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/04/26/womens-rally-draws-vast-crowd/f360a445-c1aa-4db9-a90f-d0efba7ac392/|title=Women's Rally Draws Vast Crowd|last=Williamson|first=Elizabeth|date=26 April 2004|accessdate=7 June 2020|publisherwork=washingtonpost.com}}</ref>

[[Category:Feminist protests in the United States]]