More than 300 protestors gathered on the front steps of the state Capitol at noon on Friday to protest the federal mandate that all employers must provide free contraception under the Affordable Care Act.
The protest was part of the Stand Up for Religious Freedom movement, for which protests occurred at the same time in more than 140 cities across the country.
The group had a heavy Catholic influence, with speeches from a number of Catholic priests and protestors praying the rosary.
Andrew Merrick, priest at St. Jules Catholic Church in Belle Rose and St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Paincourtville, said the religious affiliation was important because it allowed the crowd to express their passion without being violent.
“This is a good turnout, and it’s a peaceful, joyful crowd,” Merrick said. “We’re not angry people.”
The Department of Health and Human Services issued a mandate in January that all employer healthcare plans must provide contraception, sterilization and the Plan B pill for free to employees who want it.
This caused outrage among the religious community, who said they should not have to pay for things that are against their beliefs.
In February, President Obama offered an accommodation under which insurance providers, not employers, would have to pay for contraception services.
Despite the politically charged nature of their grievances, many of the organizers were more interested in the moral issues associated with the mandate.
Baton Rouge resident Aimee Marlborough, who co-organized the protest, said the event showed that the people of Baton Rouge care about religious freedom, pregnant women and unborn children.
“The fact we got so many people shows that Baton Rouge cares about this,” Marlborough said. “The people care about the souls of these women and unborn babies. And they care about their religious liberty and the direction this country is going in.”
The crowd at the event was mostly quiet and solemn, forgoing traditional protest chants in favor of prayer and singing “Ave Maria.”
However, signs they held were mostly political, with messages like “Pregnancy is not a disease” and “This is a democracy, this isn’t a dictatorship.”
The protestors themselves echoed these messages, saying they were mostly concerned with their religious freedom.
 
University alumnus David LeBlanc said it is important for people to voice their concerns to ensure that democracy continues.
“I’ve been getting more involved now that I’m out of college and married,” LeBlanc said. “If we don’t take a stand here, it will only get worse in the future.”
One organizer of the event, Richard Mahoney, is a longtime anti-abortion advocate in Baton Rouge. Marlborough said Mahoney is an inspiration to the movement for his work to close down abortion clinics.
“We’re just concerned Christian citizens,” Mahoney said. “We will not tolerate a totalitarian dictatorship which usurps God’s authority, nor will we pay for anyone else’s sin, directly or indirectly.”
 
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Contact Gordon Brillon at [email protected]