Protest held on Central Square in support of reproductive rights.
A Women’s March was held on Keene’s Central Square on Saturday, October 2.
The march was hosted by state representative Amanda Toll, in conjunction with other Women’s Marches held across the country.
“We’ll send the Supreme Court and lawmakers across the country a clear, unified message,” the website for the event said. “The attack on our reproductive rights won’t be tolerated. Moreover, we demand equality, fairness, and justice for all.”
Jodi Newell, a candidate for city councilor-at-large and homeless advocate, said, “I’m here to oppose the attack on women’s reproductive rights that’s coming down right now in a variety of ways.”
“If you want to support women, then you need to support things that support women in general,” Newell said. “I think that there’s a variety of ways within the city and in the community level…we can do things to support women in the community, and that’s what 
Newell said that reproductive rights issues are personal to every woman, “[Abortion] is a very personal issue…the fact is that when you’re making a health decision for yourself, you shouldn’t have other people’s intrustion into that decision making, and so I think it has a lot to do with being a woman.”
Newell said, “When a woman thrives, her whole family thrives.”
Laura Seraichick, a protestor at the event said, “It’s been decades of women’s rights on the line.”
Dr. Dottie Morris, Keene State’s VP for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, said, “I’m out here because of the importance of this convening of women about women’s health, women’s issues, it’s not just about abortion, but it’s about women’s health. We do know that healthy women mean healthy communities, because it affects children and on and on.”
Protestors at the Keene Women’s March held on October 2 at Keene’s Central Square. Many protestors held signs discussing reproductive rights.
