The Kootenai County Women's March on Saturday morning saw close to 40 women and men, many carrying signs expressing their viewpoint that a woman should be able to defend and expand her ability to make personal and medical decisions. 

The group marched from the North Idaho College Campus to Sixth and Sherman and back, drawing honks and cheers from passersby. 

Laura Tenneson, who began organizing the marches in Coeur d'Alene in 2020, was the keynote speaker at the event coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

“We want to see reproductive freedom for women in Idaho and in the whole country as well,” Tenneson said. “Last year, some representatives from the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act, Idahoans United for Women and Families attended the march. I then spent the remainder of the year collecting signatures for the Act, and we have enough now to get it on the ballot in November.” 

Megan Kunz was one of the marchers. 

“I think it’s important for men and women to support women’s bodily autonomy and their right to choose,” Kunz said. “I’ve seen the impacts directly on Idaho’s legislation around abortion access, and it has been very detrimental to people that I love. So, I need to be out here today.” 

Another participant in the march, Jennifer Reiter, echoed Kunz's thoughts. 

“I feel like women’s rights are being trampled on, and we need to do something about it,” Reiter said. “Our government is taking us backward; women don’t have bodily autonomy and that’s my primary focus here today.” 

Tenneson reminded the group gathered in the NIC library parking lot, as they were readying to depart for Northwest Boulevard, that if they encountered any protesters, they were not to talk to them or acknowledge their existence. 

She then offered them some parting words. 

“We've had a lot of good marches since 2020, and we're going to continue to march as long as we need to fight for our rights,” Tenneson said.  

    Megan Kunz has participated in the Kootenai County Women's March events since 2020.

    Jennifer Reiter was one of nearly 40 participants in the Kootenai County Women's March on Saturday morning.