‘We are standing for trying to save lives:’ March for Liberty held in downtown Wichita
Kansans gathered at A Price Woodard Park for the “March for Liberty,” chanting phrases like “two, four, six, eight, separate the church and state” and “what are we going to do on Aug. 2? Vote no.”
The Women’s March Air Capital and the League of Women Voters organized the march held on July 9 to raise awareness for the Aug. 2 primary, where voters will vote “yes” or “no” on an amendment that would take away Kansas’ constitutional right to abortion.
Delaney Jones, WSU’s Intersectional Feminists On (and Off) Campus Uniting Students president, spoke out before the march began.
“This amendment seeks to remove our right to control our lives, our health care and our basic bodily autonomy,” Jones said. “It makes no exceptions for rape. It makes no exceptions for incest, and it makes no consideration for the health of the pregnant person. It makes no consideration for personal or medical choices.”
Faith Martin, co-organizer and founder of Women’s March Air Capital, called marchers to action.
“We’re gonna go take these streets, and we’re gonna let everybody know in Wichita and Sedgwick County and the rest of Kansas that we’re voting no,” Martin said. “We’re going to go canvass, and we’re going to get everybody registered by July 12.”
The march began at Woodard Park before moving into the streets of downtown Wichita. The march lasted about an hour.
Tabitha Mullins, a WSU alum, said that abortion rights were important to her because it’s a women’s choice.
“We are standing for trying to save lives — we’re not trying to kill people,” Mullins said. “More people’s lives will be saved by keeping abortion legal. They’re not going to be going into some back alley or trying to do it themselves. They’re not going to stay pregnant even though their body is trying to say ‘no, this is not right for me.’”
Citizens have to be registered by July 12 to vote on Aug. 2. Information to register can be found at https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg/.
Those interested in early voting can find more information at https://www.vote411.org/kansas. Early voting will start on July 13 and will go until Aug. 1
Mia Hennen is the current editor in chief for The Sunflower. Before becoming editor, Hennen was the news/managing editor. They are a junior at Wichita...
