150 protest in support of reproductive rights in reversal of Roe

Jul. 1—Over 150 people lined up on all four corners of Seventh Street and Range Line Road on Thursday to advocate for reproductive rights and protest against the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case that gave women the constitutional right to access an abortion.

The rally was co-hosted by Julie Joplin Media and Joplin for Justice, a first for the two groups. Participants could also register to vote, sign letters to legislators at the event, and make donations to Planned Parenthood.

Jamie Lindsey, editor-in-chief of Julie Joplin Media, said the event allowed the two groups to combine their platforms and unite people together in order to create change. Julie Joplin also plans to host a reproductive rights rally from midnight to midnight starting July 4 at the same location.

"This is just another blow, and I feel like they're going to target other groups, as well," said Lindsey. "Little by little, they're going to come after all of the services at Planned Parenthood.

"If they can strip this kind of bodily autonomy, then they can strip any kind of bodily autonomy," she said. "When we have our bodily autonomy stripped of us, what else are we? What rights do we have as citizens."

Tiffany Fox, 41, said she's standing up for her 16-year-old daughter and her right to choose. She was driving at the time she heard the news about Roe v. Wade and had to pull over to collect herself because she was so distraught.

"I was not OK," she said. "I was so upset, and I was in tears. I pulled over and had to sit in my car. We can't do this. My baby needs to be protected, and it's just wrong on so many levels."

Dola Flake, a member of the Joplin for Justice steering committee, said restrictions on abortion are restrictions on health care, and it will only continue to negatively affect vulnerable groups who already have limited access.

"Those who are most vulnerable to having low access to health care are already vulnerable populations like people of color and people in poverty," she said. "The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will continue to hurt these impacted groups."

Ally Lopez, 22, said it's important to use our voices when standing up for things like human rights, and she hopes her 4-year-old daughter can grow up in a world where she can make decisions over her own body.

"I feel like the government has an agenda, and they're winning," she said. "We need to fight back, and that's how I felt in the moment that I heard about Roe v. Wade being overturned. I'm going to be coming to more protests, rallies and anything that I can get involved in."

Missouri law

Both GOP Gov. Mike Parson and the Republican-led Legislature support laws against abortion. The state Legislature passed the abortion ban in 2019 in hopes that the 1973 ruling would later be tossed out. It has already gone into effect.

Under the 2019 law, abortions are only allowed to save the life of the mother. Performing an illegal abortion is a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison.

Moments after June 24th's Supreme Court decision, Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Parson filed the necessary paperwork for Missouri's law to kick in.

"My office has been fighting to uphold the sanctity of life since I became attorney general, culminating in today's momentous court ruling. ... I will continue the fight to protect all life, born and unborn," Schmitt said in a statement last week.

Parson signed a proclamation to activate the "Right to Life of the Unborn Child Act."

"Nothing in the text, history, or tradition of the United States Constitution gave un-elected federal judges authority to regulate abortion. We are happy that the U.S. Supreme Court has corrected this error and returned power to the people and the states to make these decisions," Parson said in a statement.

"With Roe v. Wade overturned and statutory triggers provided in HB 126, we are issuing this proclamation to restore our state authority to regulate abortion and protect life," he added.

Today, a 61% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, according to data from a Pew Research Center survey.

"We have so many people in this community who are willing to step out and put themselves on the line to help others," said Lindsey. "Seeing that, it really makes me think that we still can fight this. We can really create change with this community of people. With midterms coming up, we're going to need these networks of people."