‘Welcome to the suffrage movement’: Hundreds gather in support of women’s march
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IDAHO FALLS — More than 200 people gathered outside the Bonneville County Courthouse Saturday and marched to the Broadway Bridge over the Snake River to raise awareness about women’s rights.
The theme of the protest focused on standing together with concerns over attempts to undermine women’s rights.
Speeches at the courthouse
Speaker Miranda Armenta spoke to the gathered crowd about her struggle with intersectionality and how it helps to bind people together.
“I know what it’s like to feel invisible… Too tidy and schedule-oriented for my autism, too messy for my ADHD… But in this march, in this movement, I am seen, and so are you,” Armenta said.
She asked the crowd to stand up and speak for them at twice the volume if they saw someone or a group get silenced.
“Our power doesn’t come from being the same. It comes from embracing every part of who we are and saying your struggle is mine, and I’ve got you together,” Armenta said.
Zoe Creed, the second speaker, spoke about her struggles growing up with dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.
She said her family’s continual support and the support of her high school journalism teacher helped her succeed in her education.
“People with disabilities are not broken. They are normal people who might need different keys to unlock their potential,” Creed said.
However, she is concerned about the recent Trump administration’s goal of dismantling the Department of Education and its treatment of those with disabilities.
“Women with disabilities are more likely to be victims of physical, mental and sexual abuse. I worry this dehumanization will only make this worse,” Creed said.
The last speaker, Madison Mancini, echoed Creed’s concern over the administration, even more so as she recently became a mother.
Mancini said that when she was informed she was having a daughter, she was overcome with joy, but this joy was very quickly replaced by fear.
“We have all had that moment where we believe, and we think to ourselves, am I safe here? Unfortunately, many of us have had that moment. I am not safe here. I cannot protect myself,” Mancini said.
Part of the concern, she said, is looking ahead when it’s time to teach her daughter about anatomy and the reproductive system. She said that when it comes time to teach her about her rights, she won’t be able to, as the government will censor it.
Mancini said when she became pregnant, Idaho took steps to strip reproductive rights, which increased the maternal mortality rate by 121.7%.
Overall, she said her goal is to protect her daughter and teach her about the ongoing suffrage movement
“Our suffrage is happening now more than ever, and we will not give up the fight… Welcome to the suffrage movement,” Mancini said.
Residents show support
As the crowd moved to the Broadway Street bridge over the Snake River, Gretchen and Mike O’Bleness spoke to EastIdahoNews.com about why they were there to support the movement.
Both said that when they were younger, they participated in movements like the women’s march in support of equal rights and understood the power a movement like this can have on the country.
“It makes me angry that we’re slipping back,” Gretchen said.
Mike said what really makes America great is respect for other people, following the rule of law, the Constitution and the separation of powers. “We need to get back to that again.”
Another resident who spoke with EastIdahoNew.com, Arnie Erickson, was carrying an upside-down American flag. He said it was for the current administration, which he claims has violated the Constitution.
He said everyone has a right to voice their concerns and that Idahoans should be concerned about how the state and Federal governments are run.
“Please get involved with your government. We’re not a democracy unless people get involved,” Erickson said.
Another resident who attended the march told EastIdahoNews.com that she has an affinity for the United States because she was born on the 4th of July, but she is concerned about the direction the country is headed.
Megan Manson was dressed in a skirt of the American flag and said that regardless of affiliation, the flag belongs to everyone and is a symbol of human and civil rights.
“I won’t understand why some people don’t want women to have the right to vote. I want to understand why people want other types of people to be suppressed. Everyone’s civil liberties need to be protected,” Manson said.
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