'We Won't Go Back' protest held on St. Joseph County courthouse lawn
A large number of protestors gathered Saturday on the St. Joseph County courthouse lawn in Centreville for an event called, “We Won’t Go Back.”
Participants were protesting the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. They held signs along the main street in Centreville and received lots of honks of approval from passersby.
About a half an hour into the four-hour protest, about 100 people were gathered for the event. Some supporters also had come out simply to sign the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative. Also about a half an hour into the event, about 150 people from six counties had signed that petition. Sue Sleeper, membership coordinator for St. Joseph County Democratic Party, said people had been stopping in even a half hour before the event began to sign the petition. There were all different scenarios, she said, including grandfathers signing in honor of their daughters and granddaughters.
Carol Higgins, chairperson of the St. Joseph County Democratic Party, said the event was being held at the tail end of the timeframe in which to gather signatures to put reproductive freedom on the ballot in Michigan. She was hoping the event would bring awareness about the St. Joseph County Democratic Party and improving lives, of which voting is an important part of that, she said.
Erin Schultes, of the Three Rivers Pride committee, was among organizers of the protest portion of the event, though Three Rivers Pride could not endorse any particular petition, she said. Andrew George of the committee deemed the protest successful. The group plans to also host its first Pride Festival in Three Rivers in June of 2023.
Michigan State Rep. Steve Carra of Three Rivers also recently issued a statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade. He offers a different view.
“As a pro-life warrior, I applaud the Supreme Court for overturning the egregious Roe v. Wade decision and returning the practice of legislation to the states,” he said. “Roe v. Wade had no basis in the Constitution, and I am proud of playing a role in its end with my amicus curiae brief. For those who claim this is anti-woman, I ask you to ponder how many great women were killed in the womb before they had the ability to go on and do great things. For those who say Black Lives Matter, how many great African American minds were robbed from society through abortion? The time for action is now and I ask the governor to come to the table to pass laws that protect the lives of our unborn children. My bill, HB 6270, the Protection at Conception Act, is the appropriate legislation for our state at this critical juncture in time.”
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: news-roe v. wade-protest
