A women’s march protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v Wade will be held on Independence Day in the Twin City area.
The .8-mile-long march will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, July 4, at the Festus Library and proceed east, ending at the Twin City Little League Fields on the east side of Hwy. 67.
Sadie Sechrest, 29, and Ashley Elliott, 28, both of De Soto, said they organized the march to bring awareness and education about Missouri's new abortion laws and who they will affect most, and how.
“With the various trigger laws, unfortunately abortions have already been banned in Missouri,” Sechrest said. “It’s going to affect all of us women and anyone with a uterus. It’s really scary, and we just want people to know that we’re represented in small towns and our voices are going to be heard.”
Sechrest said that even though Jefferson County leans red, it doesn’t mean everyone in the area has the same opinion about abortion.
“We felt like there was a need to show that it’s not just big cities that feel this way (supporting a woman’s right to choose),” she said. “It’s all over the state in little towns. We feel like a lot of people come from more conservative families and they may be afraid to say how they feel or express that. And we just want to show them that there are people who are willing to do that, even when they can’t.”
The march organizers are unsure about how many participants will march, but based on social media interaction, they estimated it could be between 300 and 400 people, Sechrest said.
She said people of all ages and backgrounds are expected to take part in the march.
“We’ve had interest from all kinds of different people. Men, women, definitely the younger generation and even some of the older generations have asked how they can participate.”
Speeches will be given at both the beginning and end of the march, said Sechrest, who will speak, along with Elliott and Jewel Kelly Jr., a Democratic candidate for U.S Senate. Also, when the march reaches the little league fields, there will be an open mic time for any participants who want to share their thoughts.
Sechrest said she spoke with Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis to make sure the march would comply with all local ordinances.
“(The Police Department) told us that we could protest and peacefully march as long as we didn’t impede traffic,” she said.
The march will be held on the sidewalks, and no roads will be shut down for the event, Sechrest said.
She said the main goal of the march is peace.
“This isn’t a hateful march. This is a peaceful visual of support,” she said.
Sechrest said she hopes to see lots of people at the march and encourages those who can’t attend to check their voter registration status and make sure to show up at the polls.
“We want to make sure we aren't just seen but our voices and our votes are heard as well,” she said.
Organizers have created a “Protest the Overturn of Roe V. Wade in Festus Missouri” Facebook event for the march, and those who are interested may find more information at facebook.com/events/s/protest-the-overturn-of-roe-v-/702179154205741/.