Matthew (Moose) Lopez
Social Media Editor
When community activist Rockie Gonzalez climbed onto a rock and addressed the crowd that filled the lawn of the United States Federal Courthouse Jan. 22, demonstrators cheered and raised their picket signs.
“I want to be really clear, Roe was never enough.” Gonzalez said, “Roe was the floor, absolutely not the ceiling,”
Gonzalez is the founder of the R.E.D. Moon project, a grassroots organization that seeks to “regain, expand and decriminalize abortion.” She stressed the economic barriers put in place by the government on women and minorities have always made it difficult to acquire resources, including abortion.
“The system is not broken … it’s functioning exactly the way it was designed,” Gonzales said of the government system that allowed the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed the right to abortion, in June 2022.
In protest of that decision, the Mujeres Marcharán Coalition organized a rally and march. The rally took place on what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The march would begin at the federal courthouse, travel along Santa Rosa, then end back at the courthouse.
The rally included performances and speeches from activists and community members. Local activist Jules Vaquera performed an a capella style DJ mix for the crowd:
Community members, activists, grassroot organizations and unions joined together in the rally for abortion rights and had a list of four demands:
- Abolish the Filibuster.
- Repeal the Hyde Amendment.
- Stop Publicly Funding “Crisis Pregnancy Centers.”
- Provide Abortion Access on Federal Lands and Facilities.
Sarah Johnson, media representative for the Mujeres Marcharán Coalition, said the main goal of the rally was to unify those opposed to the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“Today, we’re trying to hold space for the anger, the rage, the confusion that people are experiencing because Roe v. Wade was overturned,” Johnson said, “Today, we’re trying to say: ‘We’re here. We are not going anywhere and we will not go anywhere until the law reflects the value of these people.’”
The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of federal funds for any health benefits coverage that includes abortions. The only exceptions are:
- The pregnancy was a result of incest or rape.
- The pregnancy causes a physical disorder, injury or illness including a life-threatening physical condition unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician.
Johnson criticized the Texas government, claiming it’s “not actually a democracy.” Johnson said 89% of Texans believe abortion should be accessible in one way or another and only 11% of Texans believe abortion should be completely banned, even in cases of rape or incest.
The coalition also calls for the immediate end to the funding of “Crisis Pregnancy Centers.” Johnson said they pretend to be maternal care facilities that promise a provision of resources for a period of time but try to convince women to carry their pregnancy to term. These facilities are typically state funded and can be connected and run by church organizations.
“These facilities are not enabling women to make choices for what they actually need in their body,” Johnson said, “They’re just trying to convince women to give forced birth.”
Jack M. Finger 70, the sole counterprotester, held a large sign with an image of what appeared to be an aborted fetus with the words “WHAT YOU WANT!”
Finger said he was not affiliated with any group, but he was there to remind the protestors that abortion is murder. He said the right to abortion is not a civil right.
“I’m sorry that the almighty constructed women as to be the housing of a baby before it’s born, but that’s the case, and we should not be destroying that individual,” Finger said.
Jazmin Cazares, 17, and Faith Mata, 22, said they heard about the rally through the Autonomous Brown Berets’ Instagram page.
Cazares and Mata are sisters of Jackie Cazares and Tess Mata, who were killed in May 2022 during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde.
Cazares said it was frustrating when Roe v. Wade was overturned a month after the shooting. She said it felt like the government was placing more value on unborn fetuses than on “actual children that were running around, breathing, with loving parents.”
“It really shows where their priorities lie,” Cazares said.
Mata said the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade only a month after the shooting in Uvalde felt like a “slap in the face.”
Kate Sanchez, a community advocacy manager for Planned Parenthood, told the crowd that she was “pissed” and “astounded” that women had fewer rights in 2023 than their parents did in 1973.
Sanchez spoke to Texas’ high rate of child abuse in the foster care system; the state’s high levels of child hunger; and finally, the high mortality rate for those giving birth in the state.
“Abortion saves lives,” Sanchez said. “Abortion gives life.”
