Over 100 students and community activists gathered in front of the University of New Mexico to honor International Women’s Day on March 8.
Protesters gathered to speak out against escalating attacks on women’s reproductive rights, and to denounce recent attempts by the government to strip away Planned Parenthood as well as state-funded health care.
(Un)Occupy Albuquerque activists also excoriated UNM administration for taking away students’ free speech rights, including the right to assemble on campus. Several speakers denounced the armed police presence at UNM’s Yale Park.
The university has called police numerous times to arrest protesters from the (Un)Occupy Albuquerque movement who in no way have broken the law and have only assembled to express their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly.
In addition, in spite of a violent attack against students perpetrated by racist Israel Alliance members at a hate speech on campus Feb. 23, the University has taken no action against the Zionists.
The meeting featured pseudo-academic Nonie Darwish and promoted Islamophobia. When peaceful demonstrators opposed the pro-Zionist meeting with a mic-check, male audience members charged first at the women activists and attacked them.
Recent attacks on women and the right to safe and affordable health care, along with vitriolic sexist slurs against women by right-wingers such as Rush Limbaugh, prompted university students and community activists to raise slogans supporting women’s right to health care and other services.
ANSWER NM (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) activists and Party for Socialism and Liberation members distributed signs in support of free speech and women’s rights.
Members of the PSL also distributed statements in solidarity with the struggle for reproductive freedom for all women and supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination and liberation.
