Anti-abortion advocates celebrate in Lafayette the end of Roe v. Wade

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On Sunday, around 40 anti-abortion advocates gathered outside of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse to celebrate the Supreme Court’s Friday decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote the opinion for the 6-3 majority, addressing Dobbs v. Jackson, related to the Mississippi ban on most abortions after 15 weeks. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a concurring agreement with the majority’s ruling, but also included a statement saying he disagreed that Roe needed to be overturned in the process.

This decision was something that many of the advocates gathered Sunday had been fighting to change for decades.

More Roe: Overturning Roe v. Wade 'an important issue' for Lafayette mom

“We’re out here today because we’re celebrating the Supreme Court ruling that came out on Friday, and we’re calling on our state legislators to pass protection-at-conception legislation,” said Anna Allgaier, a board member for Tippecanoe County Right to Life.

“The Supreme Court conferred that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States, and now it’s up to the states to pass legislation. Protection-at-conception legislation would say that at the moment of conception, a unique whole human individual has been formed and should be protected by basic human rights.”

This sentiment was echoed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion on Friday’s decision that the justices, “should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.”

The case of Griswold v. Connecticut gave Americans the right to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction.

At the rally, advocates took turns speaking and praying with the crowd, giving thanks for Friday’s decision.

“Lord, you are the one that creates life. It’s your image that is represented within us, that human life has value because you have made it so because you have value. But Lord, we acknowledge that you’re here in a post-Roe America, on a day that we’ve prayed for, on a day that we’ve hoped for, on a day that we’ve worked for, that all the glory goes to you,” said Samuel Carr.

“For you have done this, you have swayed hearts, putting the right people in the right seats to make this decision. And so, Lord, thank you for what you have done this past week and bringing us to a world where our federal government will no longer support the murder of its own citizens.”

As folks spoke in front of the courthouse, Amanda Seidl and her two daughters were across the street expressing an opposite view.

They were there to showcase their disagreement with Friday’s decision, which they said made them feel “depressed,” “angry” and “threatened," as they described their reactions.

They also spoke about their acceptance of how the Indiana state legislature will vote at this upcoming special session on July 6.

“I think it’s kind of a done deal, or from at least what I read, it’s kind of a done deal that there will be some legislation. I don’t know exactly what it looks like but I’m not super optimistic,” said Seidl.

“I hope at some point that something happens nationwide, like a new law, that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hoping for originally.”

At Friday’s rally, which drew more than 100 people, Indiana state Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) shared with abortion advocaates that the state legislative body will meet July 6 to vote on the regulation of abortion in Indiana.

“The rumors that we’ve heard include limiting abortion to only be accessible between the weeks of eight and ten weeks, or a complete ban without exceptions only for the life of the mother,” said Campbell.

At the time of reporting, abortion in Indiana is legal up to the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Allgaier hopes that state legislators will leave the July 6 meeting with legislation that reflects the moment of conception.

“We hope that they come out of that meeting with legislation that protects life at conception. So, that children in Indiana can be safe from abortion and women can be empowered to choose life,” said Allgaier.

With tensions still high regarding Friday’s decision, Allgaier wanted to reassure women that they are not alone.

“We understand that there’s a lot of emotions about this subject. This is a very emotional topic; we mostly just want people to know that women do not stand alone in a post-Roe America. There are resources available,"Allgaier said. "There’s help available.

"The pro-life movement is ready, and we have been working to support women for the last 50 years and we’re going to continue that work.”

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Anti-abortion advocates celebrate in Lafayette the end of Roe v. Wade