The 2020 Chattanooga Women's Rally is coming up next week. But not everyone is supporting the event.
Several of the activists and organizers of last year's Women's March sent an email release Wednesday saying they're "sickened, angry, and ashamed" by this year's event.
The worldwide Women’s March launched the day after President Trump took office.It started as a bold message to U.S. leaders that women’s rights are a priority.
Chattanooga’s march was no different. But this year’s plan has participants like Jean-Marie Lawrence upset.
Lawrence says she’s angry that organizers are making the event more about the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, rather than looking at the rights women still don’t have.
For example, Lawrence says many disabled people like herself still don’t have proper access to polling centers to cast their votes.
“We’re celebrating something that doesn’t exist for all women so to me that seems going against what this march is supposed to be about,” said Lawrence.
Lawrence is also upset about some of the republic speakers who are invited.
Watch Kiley Thomas' 5 p.m. report below:
Reverand Alaina Cobb was one of 5 people arrested during last year's Women's Rally. She was charged with blocking a street without a permit.
Those charges were later dismissed, but Cobb and others involved last year say the plan's for this year's march doesn't represent what they took a stand for.
One point on contention between those activists and the new organizers is who is invited to speak.
The upcoming rally includes Tennessee politicians that Cobb says have "voted against a person's right to choose, L-G-B-T-Q-Plus rights, healthcare expansion, immigrant rights, and other issues that directly affect women in Tennessee."
Organizer's of this years rally say their goal is to be more inclusive.
"We were intentional and intersectional and the planning of the 2020 rally we were true to the womens statement, it essentially says women are diverse and they represent different cultures, ages, races, religions, sexual orientations," said April Gobler, of the rally's steering committee.
The organizers say they welcome everyone to this year's march, including protesters.
The march is on January 18th at 11 a.m. at Miller Park.
Depend on us to keep you posted.
Read the full letter from former organizers of the march below:
"The activists who helped organize the third annual Chattanooga Women’s March, and were subsequently arrested during the peaceful protest, are up in arms over the current state of this year’s March turned Rally.
Rev. Alaina Cobb an organizer for the previous two years made an impassioned plea early Wednesday Morning on Social Media stating “Last year some of us stepped up.
Some of us came out to stand in solidarity with each other even in the miserable cold and rain, and raised our voices for women's liberation. I appreciate all of you who came and who marched. But. That's not what's happening this year. I'm sickened. I'm angry. I'm ashamed.”
The decision that drew such ire was the Rally’s inclusion of local politicians who have voted against a person’s right to choose, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare expansion, immigrant rights, and other issues that directly affect women in TN. Namely State House Reps Patsy Hazelwood and Robin Smith.
“Organizers of the 2020 Chattanooga Women's March, an event initially conceived as a reaction to Trump's consistently volatile commentary on women, have included Republican speakers well known for their attacks on the rights of marginalized groups and support of Trump. Despite public outcry, organizers have defended their stances in the name of civility and bipartisanship; both are still scheduled to attend and speak at this event.” said Holly Selvwv
Joel Willis, the only man to be arrested during the March last year, stated “ The amount of disappointment we feel is only matched by our moral contempt for those who have taken a powerful movement which engaged millions of women in politics for the first time and turned it into a platform for anti-choice extremists, capitalist overlords, advocates for gentrification. We are ashamed of a city that exposes women to cops who are sexual predators while refusing to accommodate women marching against sexual violence. We are ashamed of a city that boasts about technological innovation while the average income of black Chattanoogans remains barely above the poverty line. We are ashamed.”
Signed:
- Ginger Moss, Former Event Organizer, Speaker and Arrestee
- Maddie Boyd-Nix, Arrestee
- Holly Selvwv, Former Speaker and Arrestee
- Rev. Alaina Cobb, Former Organizer, Speaker and Arrestee
- Joel Willis, Former Speaker and Arrestee"
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January 10, 2020 at 01:16AM
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Demonstrators arrested at last year's Women's Rally 'sickened' at this year's march plans - WTVC
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