SLO supporters of Roe v. Wade turn out to defend abortion rights
Supporters of reproductive rights turned out in downtown San Luis Obispo on Tuesday for an impromptu protest after news broke Monday that the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe v. Wade.
More than 200 people, many carrying signs, attended the rally to hear from several speakers. After the gathering, about half the group marched through downtown.
Quinn Brady told the Tribune she and other organizers helped plan the protest in a group chat Tuesday morning.
On Monday, Politico reported that the Supreme Court voted to repeal Roe v. Wade in a leaked draft opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito.
The landmark 1973 ruling established abortion as a constitutional right, but the decision has been under fire from conservatives for decades.
Word of the decision has sparked elation among anti-abortion supporters and outrage among those who believe in a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body.
At the rally, Brady encouraged people to volunteer and donate to Planned Parenthood and to vote, because “everything counts.”
“The work does not end here — it didn’t begin here,” she said. “No one is coming to save us. It’s just us.”
Activists speak at rally
Other speakers included Reese Gallido and Jason Wells with Planned Parenthood Central Coast Board, Janae Sargent with California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Aarthi Katari Allard with Lumina Alliance, Serina Ruggles with GALA Pride and Diversity Center and Rita Casaverde, chair of the SLO County Democratic Party and a member of the Diversity Coalition.
Casaverde said she’s lucky she had the choice to decide to have her child, adding that she not only represents women of color but also low income women. No matter the person’s background, they deserve to have a choice as to whether they want to start a family, she said.
“The draft decision is personal,” Casaverde said.
She also encouraged people to vote and to consider running for office. “Every election has consequences,” she said.
“People making the decisions are people like you, they just took that extra step,” she said.
Many speakers said that while California is a sanctuary state for abortion, the state will still be greatly affected if the draft decision becomes final.
“This affects our state, this affects our clinics,” Sargent told the crowd, referring to the influx of patients the state will see in response to restricting abortion. She added that only people who cannot afford to travel for reproductive care will be affected by an abortion ban.
“We cannot go back to our bodies being property in the eyes of the law,” Ruggles said, noting that the majority of the people who are making decisions about the bodies of people who can get pregnant are not people who can get pregnant themselves.
SLO County community protests Supreme Court opinion
Cricket Pera, 17, met her parents at the rally straight from school because she felt like she had to come here. She can’t vote, she said, but it’s still important to show her voice when it comes to reproductive rights.
Lindsay Pera, Cricket’s mother, told the Tribune she lost six pregnancies — three requiring medical intervention — between her oldest child and Cricket. If it weren’t for access to necessary reproductive care, much of which is restricted or banned via currently unconstitutional laws in other states, she would have lost her life.
“It’s like politicians and justices playing doctor,” Lindsay Pera, from Templeton, said about the draft opinion. “I absolutely believe that we need to put the power back in the hands of the individual and their medical care provider.”
Andrew and Katy Trotta of Paso Robles attended the rally with their 7-month-old son, Lach. On his stroller was a sign that said “7 months old and sick of the GOP.”
Katy Trotta said she’d like to see more options for free or low-cost reproductive healthcare in Paso Robles, noting that most of the Planned Parenthood locations are in San Luis Obispo.
“I’d like to see more of our people who represent us in government reflect the people and pro-choice values,” Trotta said.
On why they brought Lach to the protest? “It’s important to raise men who support women, women-identified people and all bodies,” Trotta said.
Paige Rothe of Morro Bay attended the protest with her daughter, Paxton, 2, and her son, Hendrix, 3 months.
“I think that forcing someone to bear a child is unacceptable in any scenario,” Rothe said. “Whether it’s for an egregious instance, or just for personal choice.”
Rothe said she decided to attend the protest because she felt it was critical to show that people with children support reproductive freedom.
“I have a newborn. That doesn’t mean you need to,” Rothe said.
.jpg "Image from iOS (20).jpg")
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 5:32 PM.
