Thousands Rally in Washington for Kamala Harris and Reproductive Rights Ahead of Election Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just days before Americans head to the polls, thousands of women descended on the nation’s capital Saturday to show their support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and to defend reproductive rights, an issue that has taken center stage in the 2024 race.

With the dome of the U.S. Capitol towering behind them, an estimated 15,000 people gathered at Freedom Plaza to chant, cheer, and brandish signs championing abortion access and women’s leadership — many directly targeting former President Donald Trump, Harris’s Republican opponent.

“Voting for the candidate that’s going to support our rights as women is the most important thing to me,” said Leah Brooker, 19, who traveled from North Carolina for the march. Brooker, a student, called it “very empowering” that her first-ever vote in early balloting was cast for a woman.

Her sign read: “If boys can be boys, then girls can be presidents.”

Other messages in the crowd were equally pointed: “Voting prevents unwanted presidencies” and “A woman’s place is in the Oval Office” stood out among a sea of handmade placards.

Vice President Harris, 60, has made abortion rights a pillar of her campaign following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that had guaranteed abortion access nationwide for nearly five decades. The ruling came after the court’s conservative majority was solidified under Trump’s presidency.

Now, abortion access is directly on the ballot in 10 states through referendums accompanying the presidential election. In Nebraska, for instance, voters will weigh two proposals — one to further restrict abortion access and another seeking to extend the allowable window for the procedure.

Marlene Wagner, a 70-year-old retiree from Nebraska, said she made the trip to D.C. to stand up for future generations. “I’m here for my grandkids and my kids because I worry for their future,” she said, noting that her state currently bans abortion after 12 weeks.

Wagner also marched in the original Women’s March in 2017, which followed Trump’s election. “These abortion restrictions have already had repercussions,” she said. “Women haven’t been able to get the care they need.”

As chants of “We’re not going back!” rang through the plaza, supporters of Harris were united in their call for change — not just in laws, but in leadership.

Sister marches took place in cities across the U.S., underscoring the mobilization of women voters, a demographic expected to play a pivotal role in what is shaping up to be one of the most closely contested presidential elections in recent history.