Pictures from the Denver Walk for Choice are now up on Flickr!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60015767@N03/sets/72157626022489131/
A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out today! It was amazing!
If you have any photos you would like to add please let us know!
Retweet, reblog, let’s make this HUGE! Be sure to look at the participating cities list, and wear your orange!
We need this to be ENORMOUS. REBLOG.
SERIOUSLY, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
Tomorrow is the big day. We’re all really excited, but something to remember:
It’s going to be heated. In Los Angeles (my W4C city) over a thousand people will probably show up in support. While this is wonderful, usually where there are pro-choice protesters, there will be anti-choice ones as well.
And this is incredibly important: do not engage. Do not. It’s what they want, and it’s what the police and the media will be LOOKING FOR.
Police often use provocative tactics to spur protesters into violence, which gives them free reign to arrest and brutalize, and get away with it.
We must be prepared for this and we must remember that everyone is looking for excuse to silence us and write us off.
Hold your head and your sign high, but do not be painted as an instigator. It will only hurt your cause, and mine too.
Reblog until your internal organs fall out! This is going to be amazing! Hundreds and hundreds of people on the most rad of quests, and then we can hook up with the MoveOn walk right after! YOU GUUUUUYS, AAAAAAAH I AM SOOOO STOKED!!!!
Also: do not bring a megaphone or anything that could be construed as a blunt object. Some protesters have accidentally injured other protesters/police officers/bystanders by hitting them with wooden sign holders. Seriously! I read that! If your sign is on a stick, just be really careful with it.
Joe and I will be there with a camera. See you all there tomorrow at noon!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver to Join Walk for Choice 2011 – Rallies Planned Across the Globe
Pro-Choice Advocates from across the state of Colorado to participate in the international, grassroots campaign Walk for Choice in support of Planned Parenthood and a woman’s Right to Choose.
Denver, CO – February 25, 2011 – Pro-choice advocates from across the state will gather on the West Steps of the State Capitol on Saturday to walk in support of Planned Parenthood and to protest the passage of recent Congressional bills that threaten a woman’s Right to Choose.
Peaceful protests are planned in more than 50 cities around the globe in direct response to Congressional bill H.R. 3, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act”, which was introduced by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ). Walk for Choice originated in Chicago when pro-choice activist Raven Geary learned of the bill. “I started organizing an event for Chicago right away,” Geary said. “Then people kept messaging me and saying they wanted to plan one for their city.”
The event has flourished over the last few weeks primarily through the use of the social networking sites Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. Walks will take place in states across the country as well as in Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. All walks will take place on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 12:00pm – 3:00pm local time.
Community organizer Eileen Agosta started the Denver event hours after the vote for the Pence Amendment to H.R. 1 by the House of Representatives on February 18, 2011, which barred Planned Parenthood health centers from all federal funding for birth control, cancer screenings, HIV testing and other lifesaving care. “As a supporter of Planned Parenthood I was horrified when I learned that the House of Representatives had voted to strip the organization of all federal funding,” said Agosta. “Planned Parenthood is a vital asset to the millions of women, men and teens across the country who utilize its health centers for basic care and it is crucial that we do everything we can to protect it and a women’s right to choose.”
“Recent attacks on Planned Parenthood and the Right to Choose in this country make this event so poignant,” said Zoe Hallez Williams, a volunteer with Colorado Street Medics and one of the Denver Walk for Choice community organizers. “This issue is about far more than women and abortions. The “Choice” we see in compromise now threatens to take away life saving health services, family planning and birth control access to entire communities.”
“The current political environment is dangerous for women,” said Agosta. “We’re walking to show our representatives that we’re paying attention and we’re not going to sit idly by while our right to make our own personal health care decisions is under fire.”
Geary said that in light of the economic environment and high levels of unemployment, the GOP should be focusing on what they promised on the campaign trail: job creation.
“While most Americans are demanding jobs, the GOP seems to have made overturning Roe v. Wade its top priority. The recent events in Congress surrounding H.R. 3 (No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act) struck a nerve with activists here in Illinois,” Geary said. “We are now harnessing the power of social networking to organize demonstrations across the globe.”
“A woman’s right to choose is not a dirty secret that should be whispered about with disdain,” said Kate Lauer, a pro-choice activist who helped organize the Denver event. “We need to be vocal and support one another and the Denver Walk for Choice is a step in that direction, one in which many voices can come together in support and shout that we support Roe V Wade, proclaiming that we will not go away, we are here to protect our rights, our daughter’s rights.”
Anyone who wishes to join the walk can gather on the West side of the Capitol building at 12:30pm. For more information please visit us at http://walkforchoicedenver.tumblr.com or follow us on Twitter @Walk4ChoiceDEN.
ABOUT WALK FOR CHOICE
Walk for Choice 2011 was created directly in response to the events in Congress surrounding H.R. 3. Women and allies around the world will peacefully protest against limiting a woman’s right to choose and the right to have a safe, legal abortion. Abortion is a legal procedure that saves the lives of 70,000 women each year. Walk for Choice will take place in multiple cities on February 26, 2011. The official Walk for Choice website is http//walkforchoice.tumblr.com.
You can read the main Walk for Choice Press Release here:
http://walkforchoice.tumblr.com/pressrelease
CONTACT
Eileen Agosta, Denver community organizer
walkforchoicedenver@gmail.com
@Walk4ChoiceDEN
Raven Geary, founder and director
ravengeary@gmail.com
ROUTE
The Denver Walk For Choice will begin at 12:30pm on Saturday, February 26th, 2011. We will meet on the West steps of the State Capitol Building (facing Lincoln Street) at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver. The Union Rally will begin at 11:30 so that those who want to attend both can join the Walk at 12:30.
We will be walking the 16th Street Mall as a group. The Denver Police Department has kindly offered to escort us, so please make sure you walk with the group.
Those who do not want to or are unable to walk our route are welcome to stay on the lawn of the Capitol building on the West side with signs to show their support.
Colorado Street Medics will be on hand during the walk to provide water, hand warmers, cough drops, and other cold weather necessities as needed. A big THANK YOU to Zoe with CSM for organizing this, and securing Walk for Choice the Capitol permit and the support of DPD!
A map of the Denver Walk for Choice route can be found here:
Google Maps
Please RSVP to the event on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152255154832023
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!! Please begin blogging and Tweeting this information as much as you can! Tweet to us @Walk4ChoiceDEN. Be sure to use the #walk4choice and #feb26 tags when tweeting!
Any questions or concerns please contact us at walkforchoicedenver (at) gmail.com
GUIDELINES
This is a peaceful protest in response to recent attacks on our right to Choice. As such, we ask that you follow these guidelines:
1) WEAR ORANGE! The official color of the Walk for Choice is orange. Please wear as much orange as you can, and incorporate orange into any signs you have!
2) COOPERATE WITH THE DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT AT ALL TIMES. The Denver Police Department has been kind enough to offer their support in escorting us during the walk. Please make sure you stay with the group and obey any and all directions they give you during the event.
3) DO NOT ENGAGE WITH COUNTER PROTESTORS. We expect that there will be counter protestors present at the event. Please do not engage with them in any way. Past experiences tell us they will do whatever they can to get our attention, including waving signs and shouting at us. They want to get under our skin. The best way to deal with them is to ignore them and deny them the attention they seek.
4) DO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC IF THEY WANT TO. Feel free to speak to anyone who seeks you out in a positive manner. If they are interested in learning more about us, fill them in. Invite them to join us. On the flip side, if you come across someone who wants to be left alone, leave them be.
5) DO NOT INTERFERE WITH TRAFFIC OR BUSINESSES. This is a peaceful walk. Please do not do anything that could interfere with the normal flow of traffic or any of the businesses we pass.
6) KEEP ALL SIGNS AND LANGUAGE POSITIVE AND CLEAN. Foster a positive atmosphere by avoiding using inappropriate language. For some guidelines on how to do this please see this post on the main Walk for Choice page.
7) KEEP UP TO DATE VIA TWITTER. We’ll be live tweeting the event, so make sure you’re following us @Walk4ChoiceDEN. Use the #walk4choice and #feb26 tags in all tweets!
8) STAY WARM, BE POSITIVE AND HAVE FUN!
For more information please check out the following links:
http://walkforchoicedenver.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152255154832023
http://twitter.com/Walk4ChoiceDEN
We need signs! Our attendance is increasing and we would love to have as many people in orange shirts and with signs as possible! Because the weather is looking to be cold we want to focus on getting as many signs as possible to hand out.
If you have time today and would be willing to make some signs that would be very helpful! If we can get a handful of volunteers to make a few each we should have a good pool for walkers to choose from.
For some inspiration, check out some of the other great signs that other cities are making:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkforchoice
Orange is the official color, so try to get some orange in there! And please try and keep the signs clean and unoffensive.
If you can help, please let us know either on our Facebook event page, by Tweeting @Walk4ChoiceDEN, or emailing us at walkforchoicedenver (at) gmail.com.
Thank you!
AnonymousI started by reading the entire Walk for Choice tumblr:
http://walkforchoice.tumblr.com/
There is a page on starting a walk:
http://walkforchoice.tumblr.com/startingawalk
I created a Facebook event and started inviting people. I have a few friends who are also interested in organizing, so that helped. It kind of took on a life of it’s own from there! If you can find a core group of people who are passionate about it you should do just fine.
Good luck!
