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On Saturday, the 2021 Women’s March took place including celebrity guests and a message focused on reproductive rights. At least 5 years after its debut, which drew hundreds of thousands of protesters to Washington the day after former President Trump’s inauguration, the march this year was organized by dozens of groups including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Service Employees International Union, and Abortion Care Network. The Women’s March Network pointed out the recent refusal of the Supreme Court to block Texas’ 6-week abortion ban. The Network said, “We are witnessing the direst threat to abortion access in our lifetime. We need to send an unmistakable message about our fierce opposition to restricting abortion access and overturning Roe v. Wade before it’s too late”.

Moreover, at the main event in Washington, D.C., organizers said at least 600 “sister marches” were held in cities throughout the nation, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Austin. In D.C., attendees met at Freedom Plaza near the White House for a “Faith Gathering” on Saturday morning before going to a rally hosted by comedian and activist Cristela Alonzo. Alonzo said, “The reason that many of us are here today is that we want to let people know that we are capable of deciding what is best for us. We can decide what is best for us. We can decide what to do with our own bodies. What we’re asking for is the right to be treated as a person with their own brain, their own heart, to make decisions that are right for us”.

The organizers said that the march started around 1:30 p.m. ET and proceeded to the steps of the US Supreme Court. Those who attended the march were required to wear face masks and encouraged to social distance. They also had access to hand sanitizer stations at various locations along the march’s route. The event took place just 2 days before the Supreme Court is set to reconvene for its October term, where justices will hear politically divisive cases, including abortion. Speakers at the event included swimmer Schuyler Bailar, activist Monica Simpson, President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health Dr. Jamila Perritt, and the CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America Alexis McGill Johnson. Perritt said, “We demand the human right to survive and to thrive. We demand reproductive justice and we will not rest until we get it. Join me in saying that enough is enough”.