New London ― Hundreds of residents from around the region gathered Saturday afternoon at Parade Plaza to rally for women’s rights, chanting “Hear our vote” and “We’re not going back.”

They held signs during the Women’s Freedom Rally with messages that included “freedom!,” “OUR RIGHTS OUR BODIES OUR FUTURE,” “HANDS OFF MY HEALTHCARE!,” and “vote for your daughter,” and in support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

The event was part of the national Women’s March movement, with events held across the country and in Hartford and New London in Connecticut, said Clare Evento, who organized the event with Guardians of Democracy, a local voter advocacy group with 47 members. She said the group organized Saturday’s rally to support reproductive rights and candidates who will uphold those rights.

East Lyme resident Stacie Tanguay teared up as she said she went to the rally for her 26-year-old daughter. Tanguay said she herself doesn’t have to worry about abortions at her age, but it scares her if that right were to be taken away from her daughter.

Tanguay’s sign said: “We’re not going back.”

“We can’t,” she said.

Stephanie Jones of Waterford said she has two daughters, aged 19 and 20, and attended the rally for the same reason.

“I feel I have to fight for my daughters’ rights,” she said.

New London resident Susan Donovan held a sign with the message “women will rise up for our daughters, for our granddaughters for democracy, for our lives,“ and her 4-year-old granddaughter, Cecelia, who had a sign with the message, ”think of me when you vote.“

“I think that women are going to save our democracy, and we are showing our support for Kamala Harris and the whole Democratic ticket,” Susan Donovan said.

She said her granddaughter wanted to come to the rally.

“We all have to stand together in order to make our country a good place for all people,” Susan Donovan added.

Steve Elci sang his song, “Change the World,” and Denise Walstra of Fusion sang “People have the Power,” among the performances.

Speakers included State Sen. Martha Marx, D-New London; Nick Menapace, Democratic candidate for the 37th House District; State Reps. Christine Conley, D-Groton and Anthony Nolan, D-New London; and Board of Education member Danni Cruz.

Mirna Martinez, who served on the New London Board of Education and is the executive director of the Southeastern Connecticut Community Land Trust, though she was not there in that capacity, said Saturday was about “celebrating the gains we have made over the past century but also acknowledging the sliding back that has taken place.”

Baird Welch-Collins, a former Waterford Representative Town Meeting member and Board of Finance member, said he was invited to speak to provide a young man’s perspective on why women’s rights matter.

He said the answer is short: “women’s rights are human rights,” and the crowd applauded.

Former state Representative Betsy Ritter told people to “get out and vote” and encourage other people to do so as well. She said people in Connecticut can be complacent, because, compared to other states, Connecticut has done a good job protecting rights and the importance of democracy. But she said the margins Connecticut delivers on Election Day matters in sending a message to the rest of the country.

“It matters if we win by a million, if we win by 5 million or we win by 50 million but let me tell you where we want to be: the 50 million number,” she said.

At a table at the event were photos of Josseli Barnica of Texas, Amber Thurman of Georgia, and Candi Miller of Georgia, who Guardians of Democracy Co-Founder Bonnie Fenn Sullivan said died because they did not receive the care they needed.

Fenn Sullivan, a Waterford resident, said she hopes people take away from the event the message that: “women deserve the freedom to choose what’s right for their own body.”

Mike Knickerbocker of Colchester said he is so afraid of what’s going to happen in this country. He said he voted, but he didn’t feel that was enough so he went to the rally.

His wife, Sarah Strickland, said she is supporting reproductive freedom. She said at one point in her life, she had an incomplete miscarriage, and if she had not had a dilation and curettage procedure, she could have died.

Jamie Whitman of Mystic said she attended the rally because she believes in women.

“I think that we are long overdue for a female president, and it is well documented that countries with female leaders do well,” she said.

k.drelich@theday.com