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Nationwide Women's March draws dozens in Farmington and Portland

The national march calls for more support for women's rights and fell on the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in 2022.

FARMINGTON, Maine — Nearly three dozen people marched through downtown Farmington and the University of Maine at Farmington's campus Sunday as part of the nationwide Women's March.

The march, which started in 2017 after the inauguration of former President Donald Trump, is a national call to protect women's rights.

This year was the first march since Roe v. Wade was overturned, on what would have been the 50th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court case.

Marches spanned from San Francisco to Florida, with small towns such as Farmington in between.

"It pissed me off," Ally Richards, a University of Maine at Farmington student, said. 

Richards said she was angry to learn there was no march planned in Maine until a few weeks ago. 

"I called people and said, 'Do you want to help me with it?' Even if no one showed up we would be here," Richards added.

People did indeed show up, and it wasn't just UMF students. Nearly three dozen took part in total, with some residents from Farmington and elsewhere.

Credit: Jack Molmud
More than 50 people showed up for the Women's March in Portland Sunday.

"I hope people can continue to march as it is needed," Zach Laflamme, another student, said.

Laflamme helped plan the protest with Richards and other students and said being an ally for his woman friends is important.

"It's absurd these lawmakers can regulate women's bodies and it's disgusting, we need to use our voice and keep giving power to the people," Laflamme said.

In Portland, around 50 people showed up to line Congress Street in the city's Monument Square. As the sun set and the snow rolled in, Planned Parenthood Maine led a chant to support further protections for abortion.

"We have multigenerational families here, and we want to make sure grandparents who are here with their grandkids ... their grandkids are granted the same rights they were granted," Jessica Milinichik, the director of programming at Planned Parenthood Maine, said.

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