Women’s March protesters in Fort Worth defend voting rights, hope to turn Texas blue
The annual Women’s March in Fort Worth attracted between 1,000 and 2,000 protesters Sunday, according to organizer estimates.
The marchers carried signs and chanted demands for abortion rights, immigration rights, the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and for Democratic voters to get to the polls and try to turn Texas blue.
Organizers originally hoped for around 5,000 attendees.
Linda Loggins, 62, of Fort Worth said she was marching for universal women’s health care such as abortion access and mammograms, especially for black and Hispanic women.
She was happy to see Planned Parenthood at the rally before the march.
She joined the Tarrant County Democratic Women’s Club, which organized the march, in 2016 following the election of Trump.
Kourtney Frohlich, a member of Turn Tarrant Blue, said she hoped to raise awareness of all issues facing women in Tarrant County and encourage voters from underserved communities to make their way to the polls for both primary elections and the general election in November.
“We’ve been ignored for a long time,” Frolich said. “The people in power are comfortable and they’re not listening to us. We need to change that. ... Texas isn’t a blue or red state, it’s a non-vote state. If we can vote we can turn it blue.”
The march in Tarrant County coincides with a national march started in 2017 in response to Trump’s inauguration. Most other marches in the movement took place Saturday, but the Fort Worth event was held the next day because of the Fort Worth Stock Show parade.
The march began at the Tarrant County Courthouse, down Houston Street to the convention center, then back.
Protestors chanted, “my body, my choice,” “this is what democracy looks like,” and “love trumps hate.”
Kat Cano, action director for the club, said this march was a sign that women are done waiting for men in government to hear them and respond with appropriate laws.
“This march is for all women,” Cano said. “They are terrified of us and that is our power.”
The march also attracted young activists.
Gianna Razack, 16, said she attended the rally because it is important for the youth to voice their opinions.
Karina Cedillo, 17, said she wanted to march to see all the women and men standing together for common causes.
Janie Bradford, Campbell Junk, and Aslhyn McCormack, all 17, echoed that sentiment. The young protesters met at school and decided to attend the rally together.
A small group of counter-protesters also showed up at the end of the march, reading scripture and holding signs decrying abortion. One sign showed a fetus that had been aborted, while the other two said it is wrong to kill unborn children made in God’s image.
DJ Sims, a 42-year-old counter-protester from Fort Worth, said they were there to educate.
“We’re here today because it is so near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade,” Sims said.
Rachel Miller, membership director for the Tarrant County Democratic Women’s Club, said she believed the counter-protesters’ goal was to antagonize. She also didn’t understand why a man was speaking for the counter-protesters when two women were present.
“These women could have been speaking for themselves about these issues that affect them and other women they know,” Miller said.
Most protesters said their biggest hope was to raise awareness and get people to the polls to vote Democrat on election day.
“I’m marching for my kids, for their future,” said Alison Rea, 47, of Fort Worth and a mother of two. “We need to raise awareness for all these issues.”
She said the main issues she was focusing on were acceptance of people regardless of sexuality, gun control, immigration reform and women’s rights.