COLUMBUS, Ohio — Abortion-rights activists lined the Ohio Statehouse Saturday for the second day of protests against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Many of the protestors who spoke with 10TV said they aren’t just fighting for one issue.
“It made me feel very disrespected,” said protestor Emily Kelly. “I just didn’t think this would happen in my lifetime and it just really scares me as a woman.”
Some activists feel that the court’s decision goes against women’s rights. For medical professionals, there are increased safety concerns, and for others, it's a religious-led issue that crosses the boundary between separation of church and state.
Among the protestors was Elizabeth Miller, a pediatric nurse at a Columbus clinic. She said making abortion illegal is a safety issue and will end in more people dying, women and children.
“By making women carry a risky pregnancy to term, we’re going to lose two lives,” Miller said.
Meanwhile, anti-abortion activists said this is a hopeful moment in history and the first step toward protecting the right to life.
Lizzie Whitmarsh with Ohio Right to Life said the court's decision gives her organization hope as they’ve been fighting for this for more than 49 years.
“It also puts a heavy burden on us to really get to work to support all families, all women find themselves in need,” said Whitmarsh.
She said at the core, the decision will protect human life, and the health of women will still be a top priority for the organization and hospitals.
“We 100% support doctors fulfilling their Hippocratic oath to save and care for life,” she said.
Whitmarsh said her team commends the local government for funding pregnancy crisis centers throughout the state and believed the community should be focused on creating social safety nets to provide resources for pregnant women who may need help.
“This was really an opportunity for us as a community and churches and families to come together and really support each other,” said Whitmarsh.
Abortion-rights activists will return to the Ohio Statehouse on Sunday alongside Sen. Sherrod Brown and Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor Nan Whaley.