From the SF Bay Chapter of World Can’t Wait
Sunday August 26th, a coalition of many organizations put together by the new organization, WORD [Women Organized to Resist and Defend] came together for a March and Rally to “Stop the attacks on women’s rights”. The event began with a rally with short speeches at the 24th Street BART in San Francisco which is heavily Latino. The circular setting with the BART structure in the background was excellent.
At the BART venue over ten short, dynamic speeches with varied perspectives were given covering Abortion on demand, Equal Pay for Equal Work, workers rights, and a myriad of others. Demands were in both English and Spanish. Two children spoke with great passion. One a young girl in the 4th grade and the other a very young boy wanting the best for his sisters and coming to tears. The gathering grew to well over 200 people and a very loud march started down 24th Street to Potrero del Sol Park for 20 blocks through a very popular shopping district. We took the streets. The entire street was filled with chanting, happy people, women and men, mothers and fathers, and children. Some of the chants in English, some in Spanish. The energetic crowd filled the air with chants calling: “No means no and nothing less. How we dress does not mean ‘yes’!” and “Se ve se siente! Mujeres estan presentes!” People from within the shops came out and many stopped to take pictures and all to watch us.
By the time we reached Potrero del Sol Park, we had grown in number. The speakers stood on a rise in the field of grass. Every one listened in earnest. Every speech was follow by chanting. World Can’t Waits powerful message of “ABORTION ON DEMAND WITHOUT APOLOGY” was very well received considering we were one of the few, if not the only speaker who actually used the word abortion.
Supporters, speakers and endorsers included: WORD San Francisco and Sacramento, World Can’t Wait, Oceana High School Progressive Student Union, ANSWER SF, Slutwalk SF, AF3IRM San Francisco, CODE PINK, Radical Women, Sisters’ United Front for Survival and OccupySF.