Women's March in Ventura marks ninth year of protests

Ventura resident Katie Clunen said she felt compelled to join the Women’s March Saturday in downtown Ventura for her daughters and to make her own voice heard.

“My 10-year-old daughter and 15-month-old will have less rights than I had,” the 45-year-old mother said.

Clunen was among the estimated 500 people who attended the event, according to Justice For All Ventura County’s Board President Shane Meserve, one of the march organizers.

The Ventura event was originally inspired by the 2017 Washington, D.C. Women’s March that gathered thousands to the nation’s capital to protest the election of President Donald Trump and speak out for women’s rights.

While turnout Saturday wasn’t expected to rival the numbers seen 2017 when marchers reached about 2,000, Meserve anticipated an uptick. The West Hollywood’s People’s March, also slated for Saturday, was ultimately canceled because of the ongoing fires ravaging Los Angeles County.

In fact, Los Angeles County residents did make the drive. Anna Bellisi, 34, and her friend Jessica Till, 38, both donned outfits that invoked feminist works that inspired them like the movie “Barbie” and the television show based on the book of the same title “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

“I live on a budget, and organizations like Planned Parenthood help with providing healthcare,” Bellisi said.

She said she made the drive because Ventura’s march was the closest one to her, and she still wanted to get out and show support for women’s rights.

Just before 10 a.m. fellow marchers filed in through all four corners of Plaza Park, some with handmade picket signs in hand to rally support for various social causes.

Planned Parenthood, Indivisible Ventura and the League of Women Voters were among the dozens of organizations with booths lining park walkways to spread awareness of their causes.

Guest speakers like District 5 County Supervisor Vianey Lopez and immigration attorney Vanessa Frank also addressed the crowd in support of social justice causes during the rally at the park’s gazebo prior to the march.

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While many social issues were represented Saturday one issue was the focus of the event: women’s rights.

Betsy Camacho, 60, turns the corner down Palm Street from Main Street in Ventura during the Women's March on Saturday. — Betsy Camacho, 60, turns the corner down Palm Street from Main Street in Ventura during the Women’s March on Saturday.

At 11 a.m., organizers led marchers out of the park and down South Chestnut Street before turning down Main Street, all the while leading chants like, “No justice, no peace.”

Protesters walk through downtown Ventura with signs for the Women's March Saturday. — Protesters walk through downtown Ventura with signs for the Women’s March Saturday.

One such marcher was Betsy Camacho, 60, who joined the march for LGBTQ+ rights, the protection of same-sex marriage, women’s rights and immigrant’s rights.

The march returned to the park on schedule but counter-protesters also arrived. Anti-abortion protesters stood silently holding large signs with depictions of fetuses. Event attendees did attempt to cover the signs with their own.

Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Women’s March in Ventura marks ninth year of protests

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