Hundreds rally in Athens to protest Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

Hundreds filled College Square Saturday as Athenians, local officials and advocates came out in support of abortion rights.

On Friday, the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark case that upheld the constitutional right to abortion. The watershed moment has led to protests throughout the country, and despite the sweltering heat, Athenians joined in voicing their opposition to the decision.

"Seventy-two percent. That's how many Americans support the right to abortion federally," said Addison Clapp, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, one of the organizers of the rally. "That's almost three-quarters of the country."

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Take it to the polls

More than 300 people gathered downtown a little after noon for the protest, according to a health official. The crowd was filled with a litany of colorful signs that decried the Supreme Court's decision, affirmed reproductive rights, and rejected a government having a say in people's bodily autonomy.

"Our ancestors shed their blood, sweat, and tears to fight for the rights that we have today," Clapp said. "We're here because we don't just support Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade is the floor, it's the bare minimum."

Clapp and other speakers highlighted the Supreme Court decision had serious implications for the most marginalized groups in Georgia. They also pointed out the decision would not stop abortions, but only make it a more dangerous path for many.

The Supreme Court's decision turns abortion restrictions over to the states. In Georgia, the "fetal heartbeat" law passed by the state General Assembly in 2019 is now likely to be implemented. But some speakers noted the importance of the upcoming election.

Mokah Jasmine Johnson, a candidate for the state House District 120 seat, said it was important people had the same energy in November.

"We get upset, we rally, we march, but when it's time for us to vote. Because we have given up on the system, we do not come out to the polls like we should," said Johnson, who also heads the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement. "And we end up with the same elected officials over, and over, and over again."

She added people across political lines had to stand together to defend their rights. Following several speakers, the attendees rallied downtown before the second half of the program.

All walks of life

The diverse crowd brought people from all walks of life together. Rev. Laura Patterson, with Oconee Street United Methodist Church, said clergy before Roe v. Wade worked to organize networks to ensure people had access to safe abortions and will continue to do that work.

"We really can't make a biblical case for outlawing abortion," Patterson said. "We really can't make a biblical case for saying that life begins the moment two cells meet."

She said this is an issue that has been used as a political football for those in power, and people must stand together against efforts to divide them.

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"This fight is not a fight between religious people and non-religious people," Patterson said. "If we want our basic human rights protected we have to work together."

Several political and healthcare organizations were also in attendance for the rally.

Suvitha Viswanathan, co-founder of the Period Project, a student-led effort at the University of Georgia focused on healthcare, said she had been following the Supreme Court closely knowing the decision was to come this week. Viswanathan said someone she cared deeply about was currently looking to get an abortion.

"I just remember feeling a lot of anger," she said of hearing the decision. "I had a lot of texts coming in from friends in my life. All of us were just wondering: Why?"

'A choice in their healthcare'

Viswanathan noted Georgia ranks high in maternal mortality, and this decision also impacted healthcare.

"Georgia is also not in a space to really not have abortion be legal," she said. "Of the 159 counties, 78 of them do not have an OB/GYN. So already people do not have a choice in their healthcare."

She said making abortion illegal only exacerbates the healthcare challenges in Georgia.

Sahauna Ramesh, a co-founder of the Athens Reproductive Justice Collective, one of the organizers of the rally, said her organization is accepting donations to help support those who need abortions, or in the near future, will have to travel to have the procedure done.

Put it all on the line

Mariah Parker, an Athens-Clarke County commissioner, said those gathered would need to be ready to put it all on the line. They said collective power would be necessary to push for change.

But some in attendance expressed worry that Roe v. Wade was only the beginning, and other rights could now be at risk of being lost. Many pointed out that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his dissenting opinion that other landmark cases involving substantive due process should be reviewed again.

"A lot of these cases work off of the back of Roe v. Wade because it was a right to privacy," said Madison Shelnutt, senior advisor of the Period Project. "A lot of these cases are a right to privacy and personal choices. Since Roe v. Wade has been overturned it leaves a lot of them hanging since they were built off of that case."

Viswanathan echoed her sentiments.

"These are just precedents that have been in place for so long," Viswanathan said. "I think the right to privacy essentially is threatened by even questioning the validity of those cases."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens, Georgia abortion rights protest draws hundreds