Lafayette 'Bans Off Our Bodies' march brings out pro-choice advocates, Proud Boys

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Over 50 people gathered outside of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse on Saturday afternoon to protest the potential end of Roe v. Wade and in support of legal protections for abortion.

The protest was part of the "Bans Off Our Bodies" rallies held nationwide and organized by Planned Parenthood. The downtown march included Susan Rowe, a local activist for women’s rights, local politicians and other area advocacy groups.

Also present were members of the Proud Boys, who told the Journal & Courier they supported the pending Supreme Court decision. The Proud Boys are described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as "are self-described 'Western chauvinists' who adamantly deny any connection to the racist 'alt-right.' ”

On May 3, Politico first published a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion – later verified – that would overturn the landmark 1973 case of Roe v. Wade that established a constitutional right to abortion.

“We are gathered here today to announce to our community and to the U.S. that we are pro-choice. We don’t want Roe v. Wade to be overturned. We don’t want to go back 50 years. This is the time to stand up and make a difference,” Rowe told fellow protesters Saturday.

“This fight is for the single woman who finds out that her birth control didn’t work and can’t afford to give up her job to raise a child. This fight is for the woman who struggles to pay for birth control, has a couple of children already and can’t imagine how to pay for a third child.”

The march started at the Margerum Fountain in West Lafayette. The protesters initially planned to cross the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge, but increased traffic on the Wabash Bridge associated with Purdue University’s graduation made that route more appealing.

“(The Wabash Bridge would) give us a greater presence and reach more people,” said Rowe.

Outside the courthouse, demonstrators shared their stories and held pro-choice signs as cars honked in support – or possibly protest.

“I’m out here because this is depriving people of a fundamental right to privacy, depriving women of health care and it just seems to me that the Supreme Court is taking away rights based on precedent, instead of looking at how important it is to not only retain rights but expand them,” said Mary Finnegan, a retiree supporting women’s reproductive rights.

A woman shared her family’s story of abortion with the paper, but out of fear of her family finding out, she requested to remain unnamed.

“My aunt had an abortion at 20, (I) had an ectopic pregnancy in my early 30s. An ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg goes into the woman’s fallopian tube instead of growing in the womb and it kills them. You die if it isn’t corrected,” she said.

“In 1973 when Roe was passed, that’s when I had my safe and legal abortion," the woman said. My father’s aunt in her 20s, twenty years earlier died from an illegal abortion. It isn’t just theoretical. This is real and it is health care.”

“Safe and legal abortion is critical to women’s health; abortion will never go away. It will only be available to wealthy women if these laws go into effect.”

Besides the “Bans Off Our Bodies” protesters, there were also two other groups of counter-protesters present at the event.

“I’m out here because I support life. I believe that life starts at conception and I believe that the choice starts at sex. I don’t think women should be able to murder babies for the sake of convenience,” said Thomas, a Proud Boys member who only gave his first name.

The J&C asked Thomas if he felt that there should be an expectation for abortions in the case of rape or incest.

“Maternal mortality is the only thing I would give an exception to. I don’t believe that the child raped anyone. I believed the child is a victim just like the mother. I believe the child is a victim, too, and I can’t process the idea of you know, killing victims instead of punishing the rapist.”

A group of six men held a “choose life” banner across the street from the courthouse. The Journal & Courier asked if they were willing to speak to the media, but they declined, saying they feared being misrepresented.

Before the demonstration ended, Rowe addressed the crowd one more time.

“We will hold accountable our legislators and tip the scales with the congressmen and women that support pro-choice," said said. "We will increase the senators that support pro-choice, and we will change the course of history, here in Indiana and in the U.S.”

“Make sure to go and vote.”

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: Lafayette abortion march draws pro-choice advocates, Proud Boys