Hundreds rally in New London and Westerly-Pawcatuck for abortion access
Oct. 3—A few hundred people rallied Saturday morning in New London and Saturday afternoon in Westerly-Pawcatuck in support of abortion access, as part of a nationwide effort coordinated by Women's March.
The events were in response to a law enacted in Texas last month that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with the enforcement mechanism of lawsuits from citizens.
The U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to block the Texas law from taking effect, returns to session on Monday. It is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Dec. 1 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which deals with a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks.
Rev. Carolyn Patierno, who organized the gathering of about 300 people in New London, called the Texas law a "truly terrible, draconian law." She said while we live "in blue, blue, blue Connecticut," it's important to stay on our toes.
She is the senior minister at All Souls New London, and said Unitarian Universalists have a long history of supporting reproductive choice, having taken a stand in 1963.
While many religious leaders are anti-abortion, fellow clergy members and others spoke at Parade Plaza before the group marched to the courthouse on Huntington Street. Also speaking were ministers from the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, and a statement from Rabbi Marc Ekstrand of Temple Emanu-El was read.
Chevelle Moss-Savage, a board member of the LGBTQ nonprofit OutCT, said the Texas law is "ingrained in racism ... because once again it preys on folks with limited resources."
Maureen Davis, a nurse midwife practicing in Norwich, said abortion is a difficult decision and "nobody wants to do this for birth control."
Davis also said she finds it annoying that some people have co-opted the "my body, my choice" rhetoric to talk about coronavirus vaccines, which she said is different because "not getting a vaccine is affecting people all around you."
Tracey Burto shared her story of getting an abortion at age 16. Now 41, she said it saved her life, and she doesn't think she would have gotten a college education or currently be running for Norwich City Council if she had a kid at that age.
Two high school students spoke at Parade Plaza: Maddie Myers and Ally Puccio, representing the Waterford High School Women's Empowerment Club.
"Our physical anatomy should not need a policy. Women should not, and will not, let anyone, let alone a man, tell us what is legal to do with our own bodies," Myers said. She added if you don't want an abortion or don't agree with it, don't get one.
Among 5,109 people the Pew Research Center surveyed this past April, 59% said abortion should be legal in all or most cases. That breakdown is 62% for women and 56% for men; it's 80% for Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, and 35% for Republicans and people who lean Republican.
In polling from May, Gallup found that 58% of respondents don't want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, and 49% considered themselves pro-choice while 47% said they are pro-life.
New London Mayor Michael Passero and state Reps. Christine Conley, D-Groton, and Anthony Nolan, D-New London, spoke at the march Saturday, when the crowd reached the courthouse.
'I can't believe that we're doing this again'
Close to 100 people rallied in the afternoon on the Pawcatuck River Bridge, a visible and highly trafficked location that made for a lot of honking cars.
This event was organized by Kat Paquin of Pawcatuck. She has never done anything like this before and "really thought that I was going to throw this and it would just be me," so she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout.
"Roe v. Wade has been part of my entire life," the 35-year-old said of the 1973 landmark Supreme Court case. "I never would've thought it would've been circumvented."
On the other hand, Pawcatuck resident Dianne Fabricant, 67, said she's old enough to remember when abortion was illegal, and remembers "hearing the stories about women who went to butchers." She had a sign with a coat hanger affixed and red paint around it, representing blood.
"I can't believe that we're doing this again," she said of the fact that people are still protesting.
She said some people are pro-birth but not pro-life, because they're against social programs that would help people and "not worried about the baby after it's here."
South Kingstown resident Tia Beckham, 67, similarly commented, "Just being against abortions and making sure fetuses are born isn't pro-life. Pro-life is our whole life cycle, from life to death."
According to a report the pro-choice research organization Guttmacher Institute released this March — on pregnancies, births and abortions from 1973 to 2017 — both the pregnancy and abortion rates reached their lowest recorded levels in 2017. Among women ages 15 to 44, the abortion rate peaked in 1980 and 1981.
