Roosevelt students, community rally for reproductive rights in Kent

Several dozen people from Kent, Ravenna and Stow demonstrated for reproductive choice on Sunday in front of the Portage County Municipal Court building on East Main Street in Kent..

The protest was organized by Theodore Roosevelt High School junior Clara MacPherson. She said that she learned about the leaked draft of the Supreme Court majority ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, and she said that she wanted to make a statement.

"This affects me personally. It affects all women," MacPherson said.

Demonstrators were mostly high school students, but a number of others joined them to speak out for reproductive choice. Vivien Sandlund of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent said she happened to be driving by, and she stopped and joined the demonstration.

"I remember what women faced before Roe v. Wade. I was in high school then, and women needing abortions had few options," Sanlund said. "We must not go back to that time."

Sandlund said that if Ohio bans abortion, people will have to work to transport women to other states and will have to raise money to enable them to afford abortions. She added that people will also have to ensure that women will continue to have access to abortion medication.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Roosevelt students, community rally for reproductive rights in Kent