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“My body, my choice:” Hundreds turn out for rally in Washington

4 min read
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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Folks from near and far chant outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening during the “We Won’t Go Back” march. Those in attendance carried signs voicing their outrage at the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

In this photo from July 1, 2022, protesters raise their handmade signs and chant in front of the Washington County Courthouse. Hundreds of people turned out to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Elizabeth Dupree, center, of Finleyville raises her cane and her sign outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening. Dupree joined hundreds of protesters as part of the “We Won’t Go Back” march.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Those who arrived to the “We Won’t Go Back” march at Washington County Courthouse Friday without signs had their pick from the pile of extras waiting to be claimed and waved.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

“We Won’t Go Back” marchers lined both sides of Main Street in Washington Friday evening. Every time a car drove by, horn blaring, in support of the protesters, the crowd went wild.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Mallory Majoris traveled from Charleroi with her 8-month-old daughter, Frankie Moon Benning, to participate in Friday’s “We Won’t Go Back” march at the Washington County Courthouse.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

The Washington County Democratic Committee was on-site for a July 1 protest to the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in downtown Washington to register voters ahead of the November gubernatorial race. Here, recording secretary Sharon Laffey invites unregistered marchers to sign up.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

First-time protestors Audrey Rose, Madison Cunningham, Avery Lundin and Elena Lucas, of Meadville, raise their signs with seasoned marcher Kristan Courtney, of Washington. Lucas said the group of four high school graduates drove two hours to be at the march. “I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Courtney said. “I was doing this when they passed (Roe v. Wade). It’s very surreal.”

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Addison Hernandez, 9, holds a handmade sign that reads, “I’m afraid for my future!” at the “We Won’t Go Back” march in Washington Friday evening. Hernandez attended the protest with her grandmother, Christina Brown, left, and mother Breanna Hernandez, right, all of Burgettstown.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Elizabeth Dupree, of Finleyville, has been fighting for women’s rights for decades. Dupree joined hundreds outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday to protest the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade.

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Marsha Williams, left, and David Oliva, both of Washington, joined hundreds along Washington's Main Street Friday for the "We Won't Go Back" March.

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Saint, left, from the Center for Coalified Justice, and Tanisha Long, right, founder of the Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania Black Lives Matter chapter, lead protesters in chants outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening. Protesters gathered downtown for the "We Won't Go Back" march.

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Protesters gathered along both sides of Main Street in Washington Friday evening to protest the overrule of Roe v. Wade.

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Judy Harris, of Washington, arrived to the "We Won't Go Back" march at Washington County Courthouse Friday without a sign, but quickly found an extra to hold during the protest. March organizers made sure to have posters available for anyone who showed up.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Jeremi Sensky’s protest sign reigns supreme at the “We Won’t Go Back” march, held Friday evening in front of the Washington County Courthouse.

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Protesters gathered Friday evening in front of the Washington County Courthouse for the "We Won't Go Back" march. The hundreds of folks gathered hoisted signs in the air and chanted their anger at the Supreme Court's recent overturn of Roe v. Wade.

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Protest signs fly high along Main Street in Washington, where hundreds gathered Friday evening for the "We Won't Go Back" march, a dissent against the Supreme Court's recent overrule of Roe v. Wade.

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Green is the color of abortion rights, and while most protesters at Friday's "We Won't Go Back" march outside the Washington County Courthouse wore black for mourning, several attendees sported green accents, like these shoes.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Addison Hernandez, 9, of Burgettstown, holds a handmade sign outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday. Hernandez attended the “We Won’t Go Back” march with her brother, her grandmother Christina Brown, her mother Breanne Hernandez and Breanne’s boyfriend.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Peach turned out to the “We Won’t Go Back” march to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade with owner Melinda Wamsley, of Washington.

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A protester holds a sign along Main Street in downtown Washington Friday evening.

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A protester holds a sign high outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening during the "We Won't Go Back" march protesting the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade.

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A protester snaps a photo of Kayla Hickey, of Beaver County, during the "We Won't Go Back" march outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening. Attendees traveled from near and far and took photos with one another and of each other's signs, including Hickey's, which read, "I borrowed this sign from my grandmother."

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Matt Toporcer, center, is with every woman at the “We Won’t Go Back” march outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening. Toporcer attended the protest with Halaina Durila, left, of Washington and Spencer Jenkins, right, of Washington.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Anneliese Bodner, 8; Juno Bodner; Georgia Bodner, 12; and Ivy Bodner, 14, of Bentleyville, join the crowds outside of Washington County Courthouse Friday evening. Juno said it was important for her daughters to attend the “We Won’t Go Back” march. “I’ve had my kids,” she said. “Now it’s about protecting them and their rights.”

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Linda Andrews sports a Votes for Women sash at the "We Won't Go Back" march in downtown Washington Friday evening.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

“We Won’t Go Back” marchers hoist their signs outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday evening.

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Protesters along Main Street in Washington cheer as a passenger gives them the thumbs up. Folks chanted and cheered outside the Washington County Courthouse Friday as part of the "We Won't Go Back" march.

A crowd of several hundred gathered in front of the Washington County Courthouse on Friday to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade.

The crowd began to gather about a half-hour before the start of the “We Won’t Go Back” Women’s March, with attendees holding signs to protest the ruling, chanting, and cheering each time a car drove by and honked in support.

“My body, my choice,” was one of the chants. Members of the crowd were clad mostly in black to represent mourning, and most waved signs bearing messages including “We’re not going back” and “If you don’t fight for all women, you fight for no women.”

Washington resident Amy Caldwell brought her daughter, Becca Caldwell, to the rally to protest how the overturning of Roe would affect girls and women.

Amy Caldwell said it was the first time either of them had gone to such a protest.

“We’ve never really did anything like this before, but this is important. We believe in bodily autonomy. I’m teaching my daughter to stand up for what she believes in,” said Caldwell.

They were accompanied by Audra Allen of Washington.

“It’s just simple. My body, my choice. Men don’t have the right to make decisions for us,” said Allen. “Abortions aren’t going to stop; they just are going to be made so unsafe.”

A majority of the Supreme Court ruled on June 24 that access to abortions is not a constitutionally guaranteed right and that the issue should be decided by the states.

Abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania, but the gubernatorial election in November could change that.

Republican candidate Doug Mastriano, a state senator from Franklin County, is staunchly anti-abortion.

His opponent, Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, is pro-choice.

Speaker Heaven Sensky Kirsch, one of the rally organizers, urged pro-choice voters to “hold each other up in solidarity and in action” as the election nears.

“We have got to fight like hell over the course of the next election, and every single one thereafter, for ourselves, for each other, and for all of the people in Ohio and West Virginia that count on us to maintain access here across the border,” she said.

Throughout the two-hour rally, people driving by honked their horns, gave thumbs-up signs, and waved through vehicle windows while the crowd cheered loudly. At a red light on Main Street, one man popped through the car sunroof and pumped his arms in support.

Washington County residents weren’t the only ones to turn out, and participants included men and women of all ages along with children.

Mike Proctor and Nik Tysiak, both wearing black, were two of several men who came to the rally.

“Any time anyone’s rights are in jeopardy, it’s all of our job to stand up,” said Tysiak.

Proctor said he was “here to support my wife and daughter.”

“I’m doing what little I can to fix what’s wrong,” he said.

Hannah Harper was among a group of four women and men who drove from Wheeling, W.Va., to attend.

“I’m really upset the rights to my own bodily autonomy are being taken away,” she said. “It’s a right everyone should have.”

Monongahela resident Nina Gonzalez voiced frustration that Roe was struck down.

“Women have already fought for this. We shouldn’t have to be protesting for something that was already decided and should be a given right,” said Gonzalez. “Women should be born with the same rights as men. Why don’t I have body autonomy?”

She said she has a 2-year-old son, and that she wants him to understand that women and men are equal, and that “women should be given the same respect for their health care as men are.”

Gonzalez attended the rally with Lynn Diorio of Latrobe.

“Abortion is health care, and the government should not be dictating our medical care. That should be between a doctor and a patient,” said Diorio.

Friends Bonnie Rankin of Burgettstown and Marie Ferguson of Bulger felt they needed to attend.

“I’m here for my children and great-grandchildren.” said Rankin. “I feel like our country’s going back. We won’t go back.”

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