Pro-Choice Marchers Converge on D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Chanting slogans like "We will fight back, we won't go back," and "George, we will remember in November," approximately 250 Harvard students joined a crowd of more than 750,000 yesterday in a march from the White House to the Capitol to demonstrate their support for abortion rights.

Three buses carrying 150 members of the Crimson contingent arrived yesterday morning in time for a pre-march rally on the Ellipse led by pro-choice politicians and entertainers.

"We're damn mad," former vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro said to the growing crowd. Ferraro said she hoped the protest would show that "for the record, this is a pro-choice nation."

In speeches before and after the march, activists and politicians urged the protesters to show their anger by replacing anti-choice politicians with pro-choice women candidates.

Many of the protesters carried signs provided by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) which read, "We will decide Nov. 3."

"No candidate who seeks our vote should get it unless he or she promises to protect our rights," said Faye Wattleton, former president of Planned Parenthood.

Ferraro added that this election season will be crucial to the pro-choice movement. The Supreme Court is expected to decide this year on a case that could overturn the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, which gave states greater freedom to determine the legality of abortion.

"We don't want the year to go down on the record as [the year] when the Soviets won their rights and American women lost theirs," said Ferraro, who is running for U.S. senatorin New York state.

At 12:30 p.m., the protesters were asked tobegin marching. But due to the large numbers ofpeople, many, including a number of Harvardstudents, were caught in a body jam that slowedthem down for as long as an hour before theyfinally reached the march route's beginning on17th St.

While protesters were trapped like sardines bysafety fences erected by the National Park Serviceon the Ellipse, they began chants that were takenup with varying degrees of animation.

"We're tired, we're cranky, and we hate thegovernment" met with some enthusiasm as the delayto join the march continued.

Grid lock on the march route occurred again infront of the rear entrance to the White House,where marchers stopped to send a few messages tothe President.

"George Bush, get a clue, we're not going tovote for you," they chanted.

But marchers were eager to clarify that theircriticism was directed at the President and notthe First Lady.

"Free Barbara Bush," they chanted upon seeing awhite-haired woman emerge from the White House,or, more lewdly, "Free Barbara's bush."

The marchers also sent the President a moretangible message, showering the White House lawnand more than a dozen secret service agentsstanding guard with tennis balls labeled "TestRU486"-- a reference to the abortion pilldeveloped in France--or simply "CHOICE."

President Bush, who has in the past madetelephone speeches to anti-abortion rallies, wasat the presidential retreat in Camp David, Md.Yesterday.

Marchers came to a halt in front of theCapitol, where they were addressed by morepoliticians and celebrities, including actor SusanSarandon and singers Cyndi Lauper, M.C. Peaches,and Peter, Paul and Mary.

The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson began and endedhis speech with his trademark refrain, "Keep hopealive." In a passionately delivered speech,Jackson reaffirmed his pro-choice, pro-womenstance.

"If women cannot decide whether or not a manwho has impregnated a woman should have avasectomy or not, then a man cannot decide whetheror not she should have a child," Jackson said.

Counter protesters were few and were largelyignored by the pro-choice marchers. Marcherswalked around one man, who bore a sign reading, "Aperson is a person, no matter how small" in frontof the White House.

Another man, carrying a vacuum cleaner,confronted women protesters with the question,"How about a vacuum cleaner?"

On the Ellipse, organizers of the Harvard groupsaid they were impressed by the large turnout atthe event.

"There's definitely more energy here than Iremember from [the march in 1989]. People areangry this time," said Harvard-Radcliffe Studentsfor Choice Coordinator Jessica Yellin '93.

"We're here because we care and we want to makeour voices heard," said Joshua R. Brandon '92, whosaid he and his friends were there as "Math Majorsfor Choice."

Samantha Kate Graff '93 said she believesHarvard students have an obligation to "speak forthe disenfranchised."

"Most Harvard students can go tripping off toMexico if they need an abortion but lots of peoplewon't have access to safe choice," she added

At 12:30 p.m., the protesters were asked tobegin marching. But due to the large numbers ofpeople, many, including a number of Harvardstudents, were caught in a body jam that slowedthem down for as long as an hour before theyfinally reached the march route's beginning on17th St.

While protesters were trapped like sardines bysafety fences erected by the National Park Serviceon the Ellipse, they began chants that were takenup with varying degrees of animation.

"We're tired, we're cranky, and we hate thegovernment" met with some enthusiasm as the delayto join the march continued.

Grid lock on the march route occurred again infront of the rear entrance to the White House,where marchers stopped to send a few messages tothe President.

"George Bush, get a clue, we're not going tovote for you," they chanted.

But marchers were eager to clarify that theircriticism was directed at the President and notthe First Lady.

"Free Barbara Bush," they chanted upon seeing awhite-haired woman emerge from the White House,or, more lewdly, "Free Barbara's bush."

The marchers also sent the President a moretangible message, showering the White House lawnand more than a dozen secret service agentsstanding guard with tennis balls labeled "TestRU486"-- a reference to the abortion pilldeveloped in France--or simply "CHOICE."

President Bush, who has in the past madetelephone speeches to anti-abortion rallies, wasat the presidential retreat in Camp David, Md.Yesterday.

Marchers came to a halt in front of theCapitol, where they were addressed by morepoliticians and celebrities, including actor SusanSarandon and singers Cyndi Lauper, M.C. Peaches,and Peter, Paul and Mary.

The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson began and endedhis speech with his trademark refrain, "Keep hopealive." In a passionately delivered speech,Jackson reaffirmed his pro-choice, pro-womenstance.

"If women cannot decide whether or not a manwho has impregnated a woman should have avasectomy or not, then a man cannot decide whetheror not she should have a child," Jackson said.

Counter protesters were few and were largelyignored by the pro-choice marchers. Marcherswalked around one man, who bore a sign reading, "Aperson is a person, no matter how small" in frontof the White House.

Another man, carrying a vacuum cleaner,confronted women protesters with the question,"How about a vacuum cleaner?"

On the Ellipse, organizers of the Harvard groupsaid they were impressed by the large turnout atthe event.

"There's definitely more energy here than Iremember from [the march in 1989]. People areangry this time," said Harvard-Radcliffe Studentsfor Choice Coordinator Jessica Yellin '93.

"We're here because we care and we want to makeour voices heard," said Joshua R. Brandon '92, whosaid he and his friends were there as "Math Majorsfor Choice."

Samantha Kate Graff '93 said she believesHarvard students have an obligation to "speak forthe disenfranchised."

"Most Harvard students can go tripping off toMexico if they need an abortion but lots of peoplewon't have access to safe choice," she added