Protest takes place on Tom Green County Courthouse steps after Roe v. Wade overturned

SAN ANGELO — San Angelo residents stood on the Tom Green County Courthouse steps Saturday morning for a protest after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade decision Friday.

The decision reversed almost 50 years of federal constitutional protections for abortion and will allow state legislatures to set distinctive limits on the procedure.

The ruling effectively ends abortion access in Texas, where a so-called trigger law is set to go into effect in the coming weeks, making it a felony to perform an abortion at any point in pregnancy.

One of the protesters, Lake View graduate Gwendalynn Watkins, said "They (the Supreme Court) are ruining my life before it even starts" as she plans to attend college in the fall.

"I'm just about to go out and enter the world. I want to feel safe and supported by the government," the 17-year-old said. "This is the exact opposite."

Anna Martine, a San Angelo resident, planned the event with hopes people in the community would feel supported during this time.

"We want people to know we are here," Martine said. "People in our town need support locally even if others don't support them."

Attendee Bonnie Guess said she was appreciative of Martine for organizing the event.

"When you're a blue dot in a red sea, you do feel very isolated," Guess said. "These events give me a purpose and give me somewhere to put my anger, rage, frustration and fear."

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: San Angelo residents protest after Roe v. Wade overturned