San Luis Obispo police officers asked a local group of women to leave the Women’s March SLO rally on Jan. 18 because their mission didn’t align with that of the local Women’s March chapter.
The women were part of the Central Coast Health Coalition, a regional group formed to advocate for consumer choice in health.
Nicole Dorfman, a member of the coalition, said the group wore pink T-shirts that read, “Believe mothers” or “I love informed consent” and held signs that read “women deserve the truth to be fully informed,” “vaccine mandates violate women’s choice,” and “vaccine mandates bodily integrity.”
The signs, Dorfman said, are part of a movement created by Joshua Coleman—according to NBC News, Coleman has stated that a vaccine injury confined his son to a wheelchair. He’s at the center of aggressive protests and actions against vaccinations.
Coalition members gathered at Mitchell Park on the morning of the event to participate in the rally when they were approached by the officers, Dorfman said.
“We were told by police, at the direction of Women’s March organizers, to leave the park,” Dorfman said.
Sara Semmes was also part of the group that was ushered out of the event.
“It was calm; we were not interested in creating a confrontation or a disturbance,” she said. “We were just holding a sign like every other woman holding a sign.”
Ahead of the Women’s March SLO event, the group applied to have a booth at the “Time is Now Call to Action Alley”—where organizations and groups had informational booths. Dorfman said the group’s application was originally approved but later rescinded.
Andrea Chmelik, Women’s March SLO’s communications director, told New Times that the Women’s March sent the coalition an email on Dec. 21, 2019, explaining that the chapter had “come to the conclusion that the missions of the Women’s March SLO and the Central Coast Health Coalition are not in alignment, and because the Women’s March SLO prioritizes organizations based on the alignment with the Women’s March SLO Unity Principles, we respectfully declined their application.”
On Dec. 26, 2019, Chmelik said, the local chapter responded to the coalition’s request for clarification, “stating that Women’s March SLO has concerns about the consequences of Central Coast Health Coalition’s mission to public health and safety.”
Part of the local chapter’s mission, Chmelik said, is to work in solidarity to protect women’s rights, human rights, our safety, our health, and our planet.
“While the Women’s March SLO recognizes that many issues exist with the pharmaceutical industry, the movement to suppress the rate of vaccine use poses dangers to health and safety, and therefore does not align with Women’s March SLO’s focus,” Chmelik said.
Central Coast Health Coalition members were moved to a space provided outside of the area permitted for the Jan. 18 event, across the street in front of Grace Church. They were able to participate in the march through downtown SLO.
“I think what they’re missing here is they are shutting out mothers. What is more fundamental to women’s rights than mothers’ rights?” Semmes told New Times.
Semmes said she’s frustrated. She said the group doesn’t want to cause problems, but they’re activists just like the other participants at the event.
“These are our causes, and this is what [Women’s March SLO] is supposed to be celebrating. The hypocrisy of having us removed because we’re not one of the sanctioned causes,” she said. “They are out there trying to promote women being strong and having a voice, but at the same time, they’re shutting down what they’re not comfortable with.”
Dorfman said she doesn’t understand why the members of the Central Coast Health Coalition weren’t able to participate in the rally. She said they understood the group wasn’t allowed to have a booth but hadn’t specifically been told they couldn’t be a part of the rally.
There were about 10 to 12 coalition members, Dorfman said, carrying signs at the event. But she argues the signs and their messages followed the Women’s March SLO policies.
According to the Women’s March SLO website, the event is free and open to the public.
“Your signs are your personal expression of values you are fighting for,” the policy states. “We respectfully ask that signs address your truth, and why #TheTimeIsNow to rise up.” Δ
This article appears in Health and Wellness 2020.
Vaccine mandates are a direct affront on women’s rights, parental rights, civil rights, equal rights. They are a detriment to the environment and children’s health. They are a win for the corporate patriarchy. Isn’t this what we are marching for?? I just don’t get how these principals don’t align with those of the SLO Women’s March or why they would ask this group not to participate?
SLO PD are being used as pawns and are violating the first amendment rights of these women according to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court.
What part of public don’t you understand SLO PD?
Women’s March you overstepped human rights and practiced tyranny. Is that what you stand for?
So many women are suffering physical and/or emotional trauma from the loss of a child or the loss of child’s social, emotional, or mental skills, and/or the ability to self-care, because of vaccine injury. These women have lost careers, and the chance to live their hopes and dreams. Their lives have been taken from them. Who supports these women? Where is their voice? Why are they less important than other women?
Our bodies our choice applies to everyone! The sanctity and sovereignty of our bodies and the Right of Informed Consent are basic human rights that no government or corporate agency should ever be able to take away from anyone for any reason. People informed about the risks associated with vaccines are often basing their concerns on personal experience. In other words, they started out pro-vaccine only to have experienced an adverse reaction personally or in a family member. Some have watched a child or other loved one die because of a vaccine reaction. Others recognize that the “science” does not support the claim that “Vaccines are safe and effective”. Our own government classifies vaccines as “Unavoidably Unsafe”. In fact, members of the World Health Organization recently admitted on camera that vaccine safety science is lacking! So, before you ignore or try to silence or decide to hate “anti-vaxers”(a slur put forth by Big Pharma) because of what you think they are, do your own research. I’ll provide a few links because Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc. have censored everything but pro-vaccine information (again not backed by real science) – that alone should make you suspicious and eager to learn more ;). https://www.icandecide.org; https://www.learntherisk.org; https://www.nvic.org; https://thehighwire.com; https://physiciansforinformedconsent.org;
Over 4 billion paid out in Vaccine Injuries by Big Pharma but yet moms are shoved out when they try to stand up for themselves.
I have supported the Women’s March and encouraged others (including my daughter’s) to do so as well. No more.
I am pro-life, I believe abortion is wrong but more than that I believe in a woman’s right to her body, her medical decisions and care. I’ll do with my body what I feel is right and marched to advocate the same luxury to others. I marched with those around me who were not pro-life but that’s ok- we all agreed with a woman’s right to CHOICE! But this is upsetting to the core- a clear misunderstanding of the rudimentary reason why a woman’s march occurs. I’m shocked quite frankly they would silence some beliefs that did not align with theirs. Whaaat?!? I hope they go back and re-think what exactly they are marching for and expand the very narrow interpretation that met their agenda in this day.
I will not march another march with them and neither will my daughters if I have any influence over them- but ultimately that will be their choice. Because it is about CHOICE.
I dont have children but am unfortunate enough to have friends that have vaccine-injured children and so Ive been reading what I can and learning about the possibilities that maybe we arent given enough information on this subject. Im not an expert but the issues I see are 1. The silencing of parents that are seeing reactions immediately after a vaccine is administered(why arent doctors reporting these cases?) 2. Why is the government deciding that informational stories of parents living with vaccine injured children need to be wiped off the Internet (Amazon, etc no longer even sell movies that have been made about real stories because they were told they shouldnt by government representatives)… Im sorry, Im smart enough to not just want propaganda, I want information from both sides, I am smart enough to be able to discern and educate myself… when I have access to educational material, and I believe real mothers experiences is considered educational. 3. If vaccines are as safe as they claim, why are they protected by government agency in regards to being sued? 4. Why did the world health organization seemed stumped and not have access to a study that showed the cumulative reaction to multiple vaccines given in a short amount of time since THIS seems to be the actual issue so many mothers are struggling with?
I had vaccinations as a child, i am not a so-called anti-vaxxer, I also had a tenth of the vaccinations that are on the schedule today
Vaccine injured children are the most invisible group of discriminated people in the history of disabilities.
I’m so astonished at the push for censorship! Stripping these constitutional freedoms and rights from people is only going to wake more people up. Backfire! Mothers with vaccine injured children-who will forever wholeheartedly protest these mandated products(kids can’t go to public school, which taxpayers are funding. How nefarious is that?! Injured children can’t attend public school without the mandated pharmaceutical products which harmed them in the first place, btw vaccine makers have no liability for death or injury) We are going to keep sharing all the research, stories, and information that keeps being suppressed. Ever wonder why people who once trusted doctors are now saying, no thanks? This isn’t an easy decision for loving parents to come to the conclusion of, for no reason. There is a massive pile of evidence we should all be able to look at and say, “Maybe these aren’t safe and effective like they are touted?” Too many conflicts of interest on every level in this industry, and forcing any medical procedure against a free person is coercion with punishment is illegal, aka, racketeering. I thought the civil rights movement ended years ago, apparently not. If we can’t have the right to our own bodies, religion and personal freeoms where does one draw the line.
Pharma marketing is based on manufacturing a desire for a disease-free utopia that is unattainable in reality. So long as the utopia is desired but unattainable the totalitarian will be endless and relentless in attempting to achieve his mission. His identity and illusion of serving a greater purpose that gives his life greater meaning by social validation depends on it. The rage cycle has no end within his totalitarian mind that can only think and perceive in “two’s” of a barbaric “me vs enemy, us vs them” mindset. Therefore, if you do not make your opponent detach from that manufactured desire for a disease-free utopia, a sense of calm can never be established in the brainwashed individual’s mind.
Forcing one-size-fits-all economies, medicines, ideologies, etc. lead to disaster and mass human suffering. The zealous totalitarian’s desire to achieve that utopia makes him or her willing to commit the most horrific acts against another person because no measure of ethical or moral boundaries can outweigh his or her imagined greater-good utopia.
How dare you tell me which causes I can believe in or not believe in! How dare you decide if a cause is worthy enough for a women’s march. How dare you silence women on a day to advocate for women’s voices! How dare you think you have a say what messages can and can not be heard! You are the flock, you are the system, you are the mess that has caused women to become so pissed off and disgruntled! Maybe the power has gone to your heads! Women need to stand together IF we want to make a difference at all. You have bought into the whole system of discrimination of women to keep us from getting ahead!
I attended the March. This group was there, it mingled with the other marchers, it received no scorn, no shsming, no pressure to leave. They all marched the entire route. My spouse and I were right in front of them. I suspect the author of this article has conflated or exaggerated the situation.
I don’t doubt that problems exist in some mass produced pharmaceutical vaccines. Overwhelmingly, caccines save lives and help protect the public from a multitude of communicable diseases and viruses.
A recent study of 650,000 Danish children has been completed and it’s conclusions are now public.