Amherst Students Walk Out To Protest Assault On Reproductive Rights

Source: Generation Ratify Amherst

More than 300 students from Amherst Regional Middle School and Amherst Regional High School walked out of classes on May 18 in protest of the leaked draft opinion showing that the precedent set by Roe v. Wade will most likely be overturned. Students walked from their schools to the Town Common. On the walk and upon arrival, students chanted “Bans off Our Bodies” as well as “My body, my choice.” 

The walkout featured many speakers, including Amherst Town Councilor Pat de Angelis (District 2), Grace Robes-Kenworthy (President of the Amherst High School Sexuality and Gender Alliance), Marisol Pierce Bonifaz (Generation Ratify Amherst Co-Director), Inanna Balkin (Generation Ratify Amherst Outreach member), Beatrix Lawless (middle school student), and Zoey Mordecai. The walkout was organized by Emily Grybko (Generation Ratify Amherst Social Media Director), Bonifaz, Balkin, and Lawless with support from many others. In addition to the planned speakers, Generation Ratify Amherst also welcomed many open-mic speakers to the stage. 

Many students chose to walk out in order to show their anger that the 50 year precedent of legal abortion will most likely beoverturned and to show their support for people who have had abortions. Other goals were to bring attention to abortion rights and give people a platform to say what they believe. The organizers stated, “We must stand for reproductive rights and for every person to make decisions regarding their own bodies. Generations of activists have fought before us, and it is long overdue. We will not back down”. 

Generation Ratify (https://generationratify.org)  is the youth-led, intersectional organization working to enact the Equal Rights Amendment and enshrine legal gender equality into the Constitution. In the fight for gender equality, they are working to ensure reproductive rights for every person in America, no matter their race, sexuality, ethnicity, or gender identity. Generation Ratify Amherst is the local chapter of Generation Ratify, founded in May of 2020 by Marisol Pierce Bonifaz. Since then, the organization has organized two banner drops, a rally, conducted two interviews, and hosted a panel discussion and a yoga class. Generation Ratify is leading a campaign called #Rally4Roe, leading direct action weekends, educational workshops, and walkouts to protect women’s health care rights.. The walkout at Amherst was one of dozens across the country in the past two weeks.

For comprehensive reporting on the walkout in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, look here.