Protesters gather in downtown New Philadelphia to express opinions about abortion decision

NEW PHILADELPHIA – Protesters objecting to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade filled the downtown square Wednesday evening.

Some 150 women and men shouted slogans opposing the court's decision, announced Friday, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The court majority decided there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion.

More: Area elected officials react to high court ruling on abortion

The protesters included Makala Simpson of New Philadelphia, who worries that other women will be denied the care she received after an ectopic pregnancy threatened her life.

"I had to have an abortion, and with this being passed, that is not able to happen anymore," she said. "Women are going to die. Abortion is going to stay around. It's just going to be more dangerous. There's going to be back-alley abortion clinics again."

Standing beside her was Jennifer Bickel of Dover, who said the court's decision will make it harder for women who will not be able to travel to seek legal pregnancy terminations in states where they are legal.

Abortion is currently illegal in Ohio after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, at about six weeks' gestation.

Bickel was among the women in attendance at the protest who had a personal reason for supporting the right to a legal abortion.

"I was raped when I was 19 years old," she said. "It was at a family's wedding. I am very grateful I had access to abortion. I never thought I would have an abortion. I never thought I would have to be put in that situation. But it happened."

Bickel said the protest served the purpose of making people aware of the reasons why people would have abortions.

Stephanie Bond of New Philadelphia, one of three organizers of Wednesday's protest, said she survived rape and sexual abuse.

"I support women's right to choose," said Bond, a Dover native who is the sole support for her son. "I have dozens of women who I know, whose lives have been saved by abortions. I would not be here today if it weren't for abortion."

She said she would like to see a right to abortion written into federal law, or to have the U.S. Supreme Court expanded so that the recent decision could be overturned.

Another organizer, Deborah Meese of New Philadelphia, said she was protesting to support women and keep their rights intact.

"I have two beautiful daughters who are everything to me," she said. "And for a while now, it's started to seem like we're being pushed against more and more. More is being taken away from us. If we don't start somewhere with fighting back, when's it going to end. How bad's it going to get?

"We have to start being vocal, start informing people and changing minds, and changing hearts and having, just these discussions that are going to move people forward into the future and not continue to go backwards," Meese said.

Meese and Bond said they were encouraged by the largely positive response from passing motorists.

A third organizer, Karen Izzi Gallagher, said the abortion rights demonstration was organized by the local Coexistence Movement formed in 2017 after Donald Trump's election as president. She said three people began the group after attending the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C.

The group supports environmental rights and opposes violence against women and children, she said. It has bought yard signs that say "Hate has no home here," "All are welcome here" and "Black lives matter."

She said Friday's Supreme Court decision has resulted in more young people joining the movement.

Gallagher, 65, said she has been through protests against the Vietnam War, and for other causes, before turning to the issue of abortion rights.

"Now the younger people are picking up on this because they see how it personally affects them and maybe their children as well, if they do indeed have children," she said. "I have embraced them. I applaud them. I welcome them because we need the younger people to really get involved.

"We need them to vote. There are more people who don't vote, and that's the sad part. They don't vote because they don't think their vote matters.

"Well, what happened at the Supreme Court shows us what happens when you don't vote. Somebody like Trump becomes president and he gets to appoint three people to the Supreme Court, and then the Supreme Court becomes very political," said Gallagher, a New Philadelphia resident.

Men were in the minority of Wednesday's protesters.

They included Jonathan Miller of Bolivar, who said he protested because he wants to see more protection for women.

"I feel it's the right thing to do," he said. "I feel women deserve it."

"I feel like this is a big infringement on women's rights as a whole," said Michael Szewczyk. "I don't think you have to personally agree with having an abortion, but it's not your business to tell anybody else that they can't have one, whether it's for health care reasons or just choosing.

"I've seen too many kids that grow up in bad homes," said the Sherrrodsville resident. "The foster system's a joke, so they wouldn't be any better off there."

Simpson expressed concern that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning abortion rights will have tragic consequences.

"Babies are going to end up being thrown in trash cans or dropped off at hospitals or fire stations, and they're not going to have homes," she said. "And that's no way for a child to live."

Simpson sees the U.S. Supreme Court looking to further infringe on personal rights, by outlawing contraception, gay marriage and interracial marriage.

The group previously protested on the square Saturday. Another protest is planned at the same location at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.

On Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Protesters in New Philadelphia object to court abortion decision