Renton hosts south KC march for reproductive rights and more

As thousands marched in Seattle and countless others marched and protested across the country, around 50 people made it to the edge of Boeing and The Landing in Renton for the only south King County location for the Jan. 18 People’s March.

“We have people from all over,” said protester Holly Hill. “I’ve talked to people from Auburn, from Burien, from just all over.”

Originally called the Women’s March, the annual protest has evolved to include many different causes beyond abortion access and reproductive rights, like racial justice, environmental justice, labor rights and democracy itself. This year’s protest was scheduled ahead of Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, but for the Renton demonstration, it has been a weekly event since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

“I’m part of a group that’s been doing it for four years up in the Highlands ever since George Floyd was killed and then when [the overturning Roe] happened, we decided to come here,” said Alice Lockridge, who attends the Standing In Solidarity demonstrations every Friday and the Roe demonstrations every Saturday, both at noon. “Some of our group today went [to Seattle] to the big event and there were enough of us that can’t walk, don’t want to walk or didn’t have six hours. So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll host this and 49 other people came.’”

At the Logan Avenue North and North 10th Street T-intersection, the crowd of 50 stood with signs and bells as cars and trucks passed by, honking in support. Lockridge said that it’s normal for them to get shows of support each week but that sometimes there are people who don’t like their causes. “There are jerks that drive by and flip us off or thumbs down. There was one thumbs down today,” she said.

Support for reproductive rights in Washington state goes all the way to the top, with Gov. Bob Ferguson making it one of his first-day priorities after being sworn in as governor on Jan. 15, with an executive order that directs “the Department of Health to convene a roundtable of experts, medical providers and policymakers to strategize ways to bolster the ‘robust legal protections’ that already exist in Washington surrounding reproductive health.”

Following the executive order, Washington State Director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Courtney Normand said, “Within his first minutes after taking office, Governor Bob Ferguson has made it clear that sexual and reproductive health access and rights will remain a top priority for his administration. His decisive action sets the tone for an administration dedicated to protecting these fundamental freedoms. We look forward to working with Governor Ferguson as we fight to safeguard our rights, defend bodily autonomy, and uphold Washington’s leadership in this critical fight.”

While Washington state is considered a leader in reproductive rights, Hill pointed out a shortcoming while talking with The Reporter. “I’m so glad that we have as many protections as we do but the state does need a constitutional amendment because Republicans are going to be in charge someday. And when they are, they can change the laws that we have. So we do need to get a constitutional amendment for Washington,” she said.

Hill was the person who organized the weekly Standing In Solidarity demonstration in the Renton Highlands and has been involved in protests since 2003 and is worried about democracy in the country.

“It’s going to be a disaster. Anyone here today would say the same thing,” Hill said of the president’s second term. “It’s terrifying, Especially for our democracy, for our rights. So many rights have been eroded over the last eight years and it’s not gonna stop.”

When the Renton demonstration began that day at noon, Lockridge handed out red ribbons on a bell with the words “Believe” on its side, saying that she was inspired by the book and movie “The Polar Express.”

“This wise man teaches the young man that those people that no longer believe in the spirit of Christmas, can’t hear the bell ring. So, I’ve adapted that to realize that people can’t hear freedom ring, if they don’t believe in freedom and justice for all. So these people each said that they did, and took a bell and are ringing it, proving they can hear it,” she said, as demonstrators rang their bells and waved their protest signs to passersby.

One protester, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she used to come to every Saturday protest in Renton but wanted to be more active and decided to join a group called Worth Fighting For. “In response to this election, I want to do more than just hold a sign because I think, at this point, you know, it’s limited how much that’s going to be able to do,” she said.

Protesters cross the street in Renton at the T-intersection of Logan and 10th. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Several different causes were represented at the Renton protest, including voting rights and racial justice. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.