Hundreds of protesters filled Lottie Street in front of Bellingham City Hall on Saturday in support of abortion access and local organizations that support reproductive freedom.
The Rally for Reproductive Rights featured speeches from U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, Bellingham City Council member Kristina Michele Martens and a host of other activists and organizers from around the county.
The rally, sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, Whatcom Democrats, ACLU Washington, and a collection of local abortion rights groups took over the courtyard and street in front of city hall exactly one calendar month before election day on Nov. 8.
Held in solidarity with the Women’s Wave Weekend of Action, a continuation of the historic Women’s March in 2016, the rally was taken as an opportunity for local Democratic leadership to clearly state their goals on protecting abortion access in Whatcom County and beyond.
Dozens talk with local politicians and other organizations, like Planned Parenthood, on the Lee Memorial Lawn outside of the Bellingham Public Library. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
“The Senate must suspend the filibuster to explicitly safeguard the right to an abortion,” Larsen said to the crowd. “We have to ensure as well that people can safely travel to a state like Washington state to access safe and affordable abortion care.”
After the Dobbs v. Jackson decision by the United States Supreme Court ruled that the right to an abortion should be decided by individual state legislatures, multiple states immediately created strict laws to restrict abortion access.
In August, the Idaho State Legislature made most cases of abortion a crime in response to the Dobbs ruling. The right to an abortion, what was once considered to be legal precedent for the Supreme Court, now turns into a deeply partisan issue to be fought in state legislatures, Larsen said.
“As we saw with the Dobbs decision, we cannot take any of these rights for granted,” Larsen said. “We need to continue that fight, and continue that fight today.”
Dozens gather on the steps of Bellingham City Hall for the Rally for Reproductive Rights on Oct. 8. (Nolan Baker/Cascadia Daily News)
Just one month before ballots are due, a cadre of Democratic candidates were represented in the crowd and in booths before the speeches. Alongside Larsen, campaigners for other Democrat candidates could be spotted, including Joe Timmons, Alicia Rule and Sharon Shewmake.
Diana Bob, a Lummi Nation tribal member, lawyer and board member for Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood, urged the audience to practice diligence when they vote this year.
“If you’re not actively reading and trying to understand what is being said, you could be missing an enemy or you could be missing a friend,” Bob said. “In the next several weeks, take the time to understand who these candidates are, the positions they are running for and the way those positions will impact access to all of these important fundamental rights that we are discussing today.”
