While more than 3,000 anti-abortion advocates attended the first Baton Rouge Life March to the Capitol on Saturday morning, a small group of University students with opposing views dedicated themselves to forming a counter protest.
Wanda Kaiser, anthropology freshman, and Nathan Anderson, political science freshman, said they first noticed the advertisement for the Life March on a billboard while driving on the interstate.
They decided they wanted to voice their opposing views, and Kaiser said she created a Facebook event Jan. 4 to let their friends and family know about the event.
Soon after, Alicia Ridout, liberal arts sophomore and friend to Kaiser and Anderson, joined the effort and agreed to help form the counter protest.
“We wanted to show that there is a pro-choice voice in Louisiana,” Ridout said.
Saturday’s protest was staged in honor of the 38th anniversary of abortion’s legalization.
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The counter protest was planned to begin across the street from the Governor’s Mansion and end at the new Capitol. As of Friday night, at least 50 protesters were predicted to attend, Anderson said.
In all, about 12 people showed at the Governor’s Mansion on Saturday to protest the Life March. Many of the counter protesters had been misinformed and arrived at the old Capitol where the pro-lifers had been gathering, Anderson said.
“There were a few hiccups, but it was an important first step for those of us here in Baton Rouge,” Anderson said. “Since it was the first time we ever organized a protest, I’d say it was a job well done.”
While the group protested on the street, Anderson said the majority of marchers remained silent, but some shouted obscenities while passing them.
“We didn’t want to interfere, but we wanted to make our presence known,” Anderson said.
Once the pro-lifers arrived at the Capitol, the counter protestors followed but were quickly met by police, Anderson said.
“We were told the Life March had been given permission to be at the Capitol and that we could not be present on the Capitol grounds,” Anderson said.
Instead, the counter protestors stayed outside the Capitol Annex building, Anderson said.
Anderson said the point of the counter protest was to connect the issue of a woman’s right to choose with other working-class issues.
“We believe that working-class women are the demographic that are hurt the most by restricting access to abortion because it’s working-class women who could not afford to pay for the abortion on their own,” Anderson said. “While wealthy women have the money and resources to receive this medical procedure, Medicaid does not cover abortions.”
Gregory Esteven, a former Southeastern Louisiana University student and Amite resident, was one of a small minority not originally from Baton Rouge who attended the counter protest.
“We saw the counter protest as an opportunity to stand up for women’s rights, and despite the confusion, we felt good about representing the opposing view,” Esteven said. “It was definitely worth the drive.”
Despite the differing views, the Life March received a massive turnout.
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The pro-life speakers included Sen. David Vitter, Michelle Durnad of the Tears to Treasures Ministry and Gene Mills of the Louisiana Family Forum. Gov. Bobby Jindal was also invited to speak, but he was unable to make the event, said Benjamin Clapper, executive director for the Louisiana Right to Life.
The point of the Life March is to create a movement to end abortion in Louisiana. The Ultrasound Before Abortion Act, which was passed this past summer, is only one way the pro-life movement has made progress, Clapper said.
“The act saves lives because it empowers women with more critical information about pregnancy and their unborn child,” Clapper said. “So many women who had abortions and regretted them said if they would have seen the ultrasound, they would have chosen to keep their baby.”
  Gallery: Pro-life March
 
According to Leo Segalla, legislative chairman of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights have worked on several pro-life projects, and the St. George and St. Patrick units contributed several ultrasound machines to pregnancy centers in the state.
Marissa Ledet, communication disorders freshman, said she considers herself a strong pro-life supporter and has participated in three recent pro-life marches in Washington, D.C.
“You can tell by the size of the group that Louisiana is a pro-life state,” Ledet said.
Ledet and Sean Bramley, music education freshman, said they learned about the Life March from a Facebook event they were invited to by LARTL.
“We’re involved with the Louisiana Right to Life, which keeps us pretty up to date on pro-life events going on in the state,” Bramley said.
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Contact Kate Mabry at [email protected]