Where is Everyone?

On January 21st, legions of anti-choice activists converged upon San Francisco for the second annual “Walk for Life.” The following is an account of the pro-choice counter-protest.


I awoke early in the morning, excited to visit San Francisco and (more importantly) ready to voice my support for a woman’s right to choose. I met up with friends and we journeyed off to the city. Despite the ungodly hour and the grogginess from the night before, we were all excited about the forthcoming protest. In the car, we exchanged ideas about possible actions and news we had heard about what the day could bring. When we entered the city, we were glad to see that the rain had lifted and the sun was out. We parked our car and ventured towards the anti-abortion rally to meet with our counter-contingent of pro-choice supporters. Unfortunately, everything started going downhill when we were unable to find them.

As we looked for our group and wandered through masses of anti-choice demonstrators it shocked me to see how many people they had mobilized for their rally. I was feeling really pumped and excited to meet the counter-contingent and see what the day would bring, but the absence of pro-choice demonstrators caused my excitement to turn to fear. As we searched through the crowd we found three lone pro-choice activists yelling at the wall of anti-abortion demonstrators through a microphone. We heard news that the counter-contingent was meeting at the pier and so we headed down there, eventually spotting thirty to fifty pro-choice people standing around. I assumed that we must have gotten there much earlier than the call out, and so we walked around trying to find out who else was coming to support us. Small groups of people entered the group, but no big crowds appeared. I heard news that the pro-life rally was beginning to march and suddenly it hit me: this small group of people was it: the voice and presence of a woman’s right to choose.

I tried to get an idea of what people were planning and how we could make a visible presence and impact despite our small numbers. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was a general apathy towards actually mobilizing, while at the same time a lack of space to voice ideas. As the Walk for Life came marching towards us, our counter-contingent spread out and marched along side it. I felt like a mere spectator walking along the march.

A strong police presence surrounded the march, and at one point we were kicked off the sidewalk and into the beach. I didn’t realize until later that half of the contingent decided to stand their ground and not walk across the beach, thereby reducing our numbers even further. We then got blocked from the march and had to spread out and hike around to find it. When we finally found the march again, there was no real counter-contingent in body or spirit. We could do nothing – we were invisible. I looked at the pro-lifer’s march, which was ending in a celebratory rally and prayer on the grass overlooking the water. I wanted to shake my fist and scream. The day lacked presence, ideas, passion, and voice. If we do not make ourselves visible, then how can we be seen and heard? Where is everyone?