'We must go beyond Roe': Hundreds gather at park in Cocoa Village for reproductive rights rally
COCOA — Voices rose up in chants of "my body, my choice" across the intersection of Cocoa Boulevard and King Street in Cocoa as about 400 protesters gathered there Friday night in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
"No matter what your perspective is on someone's pregnancy, it is personal and private," Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani said during the rally.
Following the Supreme Court's ruling June 24 that overturned the 1973 high court decision that enshrined the right to an abortion, the procedure has been banned in seven states, temporarily banned in two others and could be banned or limited in more. With Justice Clarence Thomas inviting challenges to other rulings that legalized gay marriage and provided access to contraceptives, some fear Roe v. Wade was just the first ruling to be overturned.
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Friday night's rally was organized by Fara Megargee of Brevard Democrats at Cocoa Riverfront Park in Cocoa Village and featured speakers including Eskamani, Brevard radio show host Seeta Durjan Begui, Jeremiah's House founder Tee Owens and Brevard Democrats Chair Pamela Castellana. Organizers estimated about 400 people came to the demonstration.
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"I am here to fight for my six grandchildren so that they can wake up knowing that their country is the same place that I woke up to every day when I was 8," Castellana said.
Speakers argued that the decision by the Supreme Court was made out of a desire for control, not in an effort to be pro-life, adding that those who are pro-life should focus on a larger picture than just pregnancy.
"Do you care about the child when it's born and it needs a home? Do you care that the child needs a good environment? Do you care that the child is going to need a great education where books are not banned?" Begui said. "Do you really care, or do you just have a fantasy about pregnant women and pregnancy?"
Castellana argued that more measures would have been taken to help pregnant people and infants if the decision had been made from the desire to be pro-life.
"If this is about babies, then it would come with expanded health care," she said. "The same Republicans that are celebrating this would have voted to expand access to baby formula rather than not for women. If this was about babies, it would have come with free child care, free preschool, free education. It's not coming with any of that."
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many fear other laws will be next.
Owens brought up multiple laws, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned racial discrimination at the ballot box, and Loving v. Virginia, the case that led to the legalization of interracial marriage in 1967.
"I wanted to put the dates out there just to let you see if a (49)-year-old law can be overturned, none of these laws are exempt," she said.
She and other speakers encouraged attendees to vote for candidates who would protect reproductive rights and asked them to encourage their community members to vote. Owens also called for cognitive testing to be given to justices to ensure they are fit for their jobs.
A single counterprotester came to the rally, accusing demonstrators of wanting to kill babies and briefly arguing with several attendees before leaving.
Protesters marched from the park to the intersection of Cocoa Boulevard and King Street, where they gathered on the four corners of the intersection with signs for several hours. Though the rally focused on reproductive rights, Eskamani finished her speech with a call to work toward a future with more rights than what Roe v. Wade granted.
"We must go beyond Roe and envision a new world where every person, no matter how much money you have, no matter the color of your skin, who you love, who you worship, your documentation status, your disability status, that you have an ability to live a full and prosperous life of bodily autonomy," she said.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Overturn: Cocoa abortion rights rally draws at least 400 people
