Letting their voices be heard

Jun. 27—About 40 people of all ages lined up along Bridge Street in Clarkston on Sunday afternoon to voice their opposition to the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Katie Babino and Cora Peterson organized the event on Facebook. The two have been friends since going to Clarkston High School together and were talking about the Supreme Court's ruling. They felt like they were in the minority in an area that is mostly conservative.

"To me, I think that it comes down to everyone should have the freedom to choose," Babino said. She said she has lots of friends who are pro-life, "and that's fine. At the same time, if it's not something you would choose for yourself, you shouldn't take that choice away from someone else."

Babino and Peterson said they were trying to find a local protest to join and couldn't find one. Babino said they began asking, "Why isn't anybody doing anything?" before realizing that they should be the ones doing something.

"Maybe it's time for us to be the voices that speak up rather than wait for someone else," Peterson said.

In 24 hours, Babino and Peterson looked for locations to have a rally and decided to have one in Clarkston. They felt that having the protest in Washington rather than Idaho would be safer. Babino was part of the Black Lives Matter protest in 2020 in Lewiston, which also had Second Amendment supporters openly carrying firearms.

They also wanted to have a spot in a high-traffic area and they had seen people protesting at the rally's location Saturday on Bridge Street in the grassy area by the Interstate Bridge near Taco Time and Arby's. Then they created the Facebook event and shared it on social media.

"It just kinda snowballed," Peterson said.

Babino said they wanted to give people in the community an opportunity to have their voices heard among those who felt the same way.

"I think coming together as a community and letting our voices be seen and heard is our biggest goal," Peterson said. "Knowing others are out there who believe and want the same things."

Participants started trickling in around noon, with mostly women, but a few men, arriving at the rally. Those who didn't have signs could make them at a table. Numerous vehicles drove by honking their horns in support or cheered and waved to the group. Only a couple of vehicles drove by yelling or flipping off the crowd; one person in a pickup gave a thumbs-down sign.

Deena Heath, of Lewiston, attended the protest wearing a shirt with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, which got several compliments from others at the event. Heath was part of the pro-choice movement 50 years ago in Spokane as part of the American Association of University Women when Roe v. Wade was approved by the Supreme Court. She found it "perplexing" that the Supreme Court overturned the decision after all these years.

Lacey Preece, of Lewiston, attended the rally to fight for her rights. "Abortions will never stop, you will only stop safe ones," she said. She also said her heart breaks for people who aren't given a choice and for rape victims, particularly those who are children.

Several others voiced concerns for rape victims, including Christine Jones, of Lewiston. Jones said she was raped when she was 17-years-old and wants to make sure that women who become pregnant by rape can make a choice on what to do with the pregnancy. She also said that not everyone is in a healthy condition to have a child, noting her own health issues would create a complicated pregnancy.

Although Christina Frost, of Clarkston, is a Christian, she is also pro-choice. She said that God gives people free will to make their own choices and offers forgiveness.

Lillie Northrup, of Lewiston, said her reason for attending the rally is because "women's rights are human rights," which got an "amen" from Britta Delka, of Lewiston. Delka said that she saw the event on Facebook and decided to attend. "This is a huge turning point on the war on women," she said.

Babino said she was surprised and encouraged by the support, thinking the event was just going to be her and Peterson. She now feels less isolated and has a community of support if people are interested in another rally.

"I don't know if it makes a difference," Babino said about the event. "Today it feels like it made a difference."

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.