A roaring crowd of nearly 400 people marched through Balboa Park on July 4 for free, legal abortion on demand. Organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, abortion rights activists and community groups such as Socialist Alternative, Communist Party USA, Spring Valley Cleanup Crew and Anakbayan San Diego kicked off the event with a rally on President’s Way Lawn.
Signs throughout read “Abort the Court,” “Abolish the Supreme Court! Enemy of women,” “My body, my choice,” and other pro-abortion slogans. The rally and march were followed by a revolutionary education session, which featured an organizing and banner making workshop.
Speaking mid-march atop the Bea Evenson Fountain, PSL member Lisa Donahoe told an energized crowd, “We will not be silent as our basic human rights are being chipped away. We will continue to be in the streets, organizing and mobilizing until we have unconditional abortion rights for all!”
They continued, “But we will not stop there. We will keep fighting until we are all free from the chains of capitalism, patriarchy and imperialism!”
As the crowd marched to the final destination where the revolutionary education session was held, thunderous chants rang throughout Balboa Park. “What do we want? Abolish the Supreme Court!” and, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay — Christian fascists go away,” among others were chanted in unison and applauded by onlookers, some of whom joined the demonstration.
Liberation News spoke with Sierra Tillman, the lead organizer of the event. She said, “Many people in the community reached out to us asking if we would be organizing a protest on July 4. People are seeing the clear hypocrisy of a country that claims to celebrate freedom and independence while it strips away the freedom of millions of people to decide what happens to their own bodies.”
Activists and organizers planted the seeds of a united front in San Diego. Persistent actions and community organization are needed for a mass movement to blossom.
