1,150,000 March on Washington, D.C...

[Diane Monaco <diane.monaco@xxxxxxxxx>]

1,150,000 March on Washington, D.C. to Voice Opposition to Government
Attacks on Women's Reproductive Rights and Health

Sunday April 25, 4:43 pm ET

Official Crowd Count Largest Ever for Women's Rights Rally in The
Nation's Capitol

WASHINGTON, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- An estimated 1,150,000 descended
on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. today to give an urgent
wake-up call to government leaders and the nation-women's lives are at
risk and lawmakers stop intruding on a woman's right to access critical
reproductive health services and make deeply personal decisions about
her health and life.

The March for Women's Lives was led by seven organizing groups:
American Civil Liberties Union, Black Women's Health Imperative,
Feminist Majority, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Latina Institute
for Reproductive Health, National Organization for Women and Planned
Parenthood Federation of America.

Following are highlights excerpted from remarks given by the
organization's leaders at the March:

"The government does not belong in our bedrooms. It does not belong in
our doctors' offices. It does not belong in the bank accounts of
innocent Americans, and should not have the power to monitor their
e-mail, or track their bookstore purchases, or scrutinize the books
they check out of local libraries," said Anthony D. Romero, executive
director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "Our fundamental
right to privacy is under serious attack by this government."

"This historic march is sending an unmistakable message: women's rights
and women's lives are non-negotiable," stated Eleanor Smeal, president
of the Feminist Majority. "We are building an expanded and inclusive
movement that will make women's reproductive rights-just like social
security-a third rail of politics."

"My friends -- make no mistake. There is a war on choice. We didn't
start it, but we are going to win it!" said Gloria Feldt, president of
Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "They're not just after
abortion rights. This is a full-throttle war on your very health-on
your access to real sex education, birth control, medical privacy, and
life-saving research."

"My greatest wish is that there would never be another political debate
about the right to choose," said Kate Michelman, president of NARAL
Pro-Choice America. "But history teaches us that every right-no matter
how basic-is always at risk. And I'm confident that the young people
who have lead this march today will lead our movement in a new wave of
activism that will keep the right to choose alive for the next
generation."

"This March is a giant wake up call," said Kim Gandy, president of the
National Organization for Women (NOW). "We won't go back to 1968 when
women couldn't buy birth control; we won't go back to 1972 when women
were dying from illegal abortions. We're marching for our rights before
it's too late."

"The reproductive health of Black women is in a state of crisis. Black
women are suffering and dying too often, too soon and needlessly," said
Dr. Lorraine Cole, president and CEO of the Black Women's Health
Imperative. "When we leave here today, let's turn pain into promise,
let's turn promise into partnership and let's turn partnership into
power."

"We demand an end to coercive and punitive policies that prevent us
from making informed decisions about our health, our lives and our
futures!" said Silvia Henriquez, executive director of the National
Latina Institute of Reproductive Health. "We envision a day when no
Latina will live in a climate of fear and oppression, when every person
has access to comprehensive and affordable health care. That is
reproductive justice!"

Using standard crowd estimate methods, March participants were counted
in designated grids on the National Mall, which are designed to hold a
predetermined number of people. The March also verified this count by
assigning 2,500 volunteers to stand at key entry points to the March
area and at bus drop-off locations and count people by placing March
stickers on participants as they entered these entry points.

For more information on the March for Women's Lives, visit:
www.marchforwomen.org