It’s coming this rainy Saturday, January 24, 2009 starting at 11:00 AM in Justin Herman Plaza near the Ferry Building – the 5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast. Will you be among the tens of thousands expected? (Dress for rain.) It will look a little something like this.
[UPDATE: Rain threatened by didn't really show up at the beginning. Tens of thousands of people were on hand for 2009, a bunch of photos here.]
These Life Walkers are now using the Twitter to keep their minions informed, thusly:
“Reality check – in the last five minutes more than 500 babies were killed world wide.
So that’ll be a new wrinkle this year. Otherwise, it should be the same old thing, with speeches in Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish, chartered buses from all over the place, your Feminists For Life, San Francisco Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop William Justice, counterprotesters, etc.
Counterdemonstrators at the first Walk for Life West Coast, back in 2005, click to expand:
But probably there won’t be all that many counterdemonstrators, if last year’s event is any guide. Some groups in San Francisco appear to ignore this annual event, saving their energy for other battles.
So there you have it. More info here, and after the jump:
5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast, Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 11 a.m. – Justin Herman Plaza at Market Street and the Ferry Building, San Francisco
More than 25,000 pro-life women, men and children are expected to rally in San Francisco at the foot of Market Street on Saturday, January 24th, and then walk nearly 2 miles across the city, through Fisherman’s Wharf ending at Marina Green in sight of the Golden Gate Bridge.
This is the fifth annual Walk for Life West Coast, organized by a group of San Francisco residents and attracting participants from throughout California and the rest of the West. The Walk for Life West Coast’s motto is “Abortion Hurts Women,” and the speakers will address the cost of abortion for women and ways to help women and protect life from conception to natural death.
Schedule of events:
Rally with speakers at Justin Herman Plaza: 11:00 am
Walk begins: 12 noon
Speakers include:
– Frank Lee, coordinator of Asian Americans Against Abortion
– Diana Nagy, singer crisis pregnancy at 15 ended in adoption
– Mother Agnes Mary, Sisters of Life
– Karen Shablin, Feminists for Life, places her abortion within the context of feminism
– Rev. Clenard Childress Jr., founder of BlackGenocide.org, addresses
the civil rights implications of abortion
After the Walk at Marina Green: 2 – 4 p.m.
– Info Faire and a Silent No More
(http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/) gathering for women and men to
share stories of abortion featuring Georgette Forney from Silent No
More and Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life
(http://www.priestsforlife.org/)
BAACORE is calling on all people who oppose this climate of hate to come out on January 24 to the “Unite to Fight the Right Wing” event. The event will begin with a rally at San Francisco’s Music Concourse (Embarcadero and Market Sts.) at 10:30am.
THE EVENT
If you have an event you would like to have posted here, please send the information via email.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2009
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Justin Herman Plaza on Market Street
Speakers include:
Diana Nagy, Singer, crisis pregnancy at 15 ended in adoption
Mother Agnes Mary, SV, Sisters of Life
Frank Lee, coordinator of Asian Americans Against Abortion
Rev. Clenard Childress, Director of LEARN
Karen Shablin, Feminists for Life
Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life
After the Walk, a Silent No More Gatheringwill take place where it concludes. Contact Georgette Forney: 800-707-6635, Georgette@SilentNoMoreAwareness.org. You must be pre-registered to share your testimony here.
There will be an Info Faire at the end of the Walk at Marina Greens. To exhibit at the Info Fiare, please fill out form and email it here.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2009
Missions for Life
For more information, go here.
Time: 8:00 am
Catholic Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral. All are welcome!
Location: 1111 Gough St., San Francisco
All priests are welcome to concelebrate.
The following California bishops will be in attendance:
|
Bishop William Justice, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
Bishop Jaime Soto, Bishop of Sacramento Bishop Rutilio del Riego, Auxiliary Bishop of San Bernardino Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego |
Time: 7:00 pm
The St. Dominic’s young adults is sponsoring the Walk for Life After Party again this year!! St. Dominic’s is located 2390 Bush St, on the corner of Pine & Steiner in San Francisco.
Get there early to enjoy the party! Last year 50 people were in the door within the
first 15 minutes! This is a great opportunity to share with other young adults who share your values.
There will be a $5 cover charge. For more information or to volunteer contact Julie at stjeanii@yahoo.com, or go here
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 , 2008
Time: 12:00 noon
2nd Annual Standing Up 4Life in Oakland Walk
Special guest speaker: Rev. Clenard Childress
Email for more information
Time: 7:30 pm
1st Annual East Bay Memorial Service
In Honor of Sanctity of Life Month. Speakers include Bishop Allen Vigneron and Senior Pastor Dion Evans.
- Date: Friday, January 23rd, 2009
- From: 7:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Flyer: Click herefor flyer
- Location: Shiloh Christian Fellowship
- 3295 School Street
- Oakland, California 94602-3638
- Office Manager: (510) 261-2052
- Pastor Patrick Kiteley, Senior Pastor
Time: 7:30 pm
Interfaith Prayer Service
The Interfaith Committee for Life will sponsor its 22nd Annual Interfaith Memorial Service for the Victims of Abrotion.
Contact Vicki Evans at evansv@sfarchdiocese.org or call 415-614-5533.
Time: 8:00 pm Friday to 7:00 am on Saturday
Eucharistic Adoration
All-Night Eucharistic Adoration at Saints Peter and Paul Church
Location: 666 Filbert Street in San Francisco. The Church has a well-lit parking lot. Please enter the church through the Church Office. For more information contact, Gibbons at 415-421-0809.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2008
Time: 7:00 to 8:00 pm
Lights for Life Candlelight Prayer Vigil
Join us in prayer at Choice Medical where the evil of child-killing is actually committed and will resume on the following morning. This event will make for a very spiritual closing to the week’s events.
Where: On the sidewalk in front of 2107 O’Farrell St. (One block south of Geary Blvd.)
Source: Walk for Life West Coast
CONTACT: Valerie Schmalz, +1-415-699-9230, or Dolores Meehan
+1-415-860-7899, both of Walk for Life West Coast
Web Site: http://blackgenocide.org/
The “Unite to Fight the Right Wing” counter-protest will begin with a rally at San Francisco’s Music Concourse at Embarcadero and Market Streets at 10:30am. More Details
As part of this year’s protest, BACORR is also calling attention to the ICE raids against immigrant communities. Anita O’Shea, BACORR spokesperson writes
Tags: 5th, abortion, annual, anti, baby, bacorr, choice, Embarcadero, fetus, indybay, justin herman, life, march, muisic concourse, plaza, protest, San Francisco, walk for life, west coast
Karen Shablin
Karen was a member of NARAL when she became the director of a state Medicaid agency. What she learned in that position changed her views on the issue of abortion. As an expert in health policy, she has a unique insight into the impact that public policy has on the decisions of women, particularly those who are pregnant and live in poverty.
Biography
Karen Shablin converted from a “card-carrying member of NARAL” to a pro-life feminist position. She discusses her experience choosing to have an abortion and how she became pro-life. A health policy expert and former state Medicaid agency head, Ms. Shablin is speaking for Feminists for Life because, she says: “I can’t undo my mistakes over the years – having an abortion, advocating abortion, but I can help others to learn
from my mistakes. Every life counts.”