'We're mad as hell': Mansfield pro-choice rally protests Supreme Court ruling

“Keep your overreach off our ovaries” was a rallying cry heard at Saturday’s protest in downtown Mansfield where more than 100 men, women, and children gathered.

Ashley McLaughlin, president of the Richland County Young Democrats, was first to address the crowd.

“We are here because we are mad as hell,” she said, shouting from the gazebo in front of the crowd holding signs “Abortion is Healthcare” and “Abort the Court”.

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The protest comes in the wake of the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision that abortion is not a constitutional right but should be regulated by the states.

McLaughlin said when she heard about the ruling she “sobbed” because she felt powerless, so she decided to act.

Supreme Court ruling creates 'state of emergency'

Alexiss Owens helped spread awareness of the event by promoting it on Facebook. The post had around 67 confirmations, but more than 100 turned out for the rally.

Before taking the protest to nearby sidewalks, McLaughlin, congressional candidate Tamie Wilson, and Gerald Vega, chairman of the Mansfield committee for community safety, delivered speeches.

Wilson told protestors that she considers it a “state of emergency.”

“This is an attack on women,” she said, referencing scenarios of women with ectopic pregnancies, women with chronic illnesses, and victims of rape being denied the right to have an abortion. She repeated the phrase “Abortion is health care”; the crowd echoed.

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Vega talked about the case with the 10-year-old girl who travelled from Ohio to Indiana to get an abortion. He called the situation “disgusting,” referring to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine avoiding a reporter’s questions about juvenile abortions at a recent press conference.

Saturday’s crowd was animated, shouting and cheering every time a car honked as it passed.

Abortion called a 'fundamental right'

Mansfield resident James Secrest said he was there because he believes abortion is a “fundamental right” and Josh Pelfrey, a local attorney, said he is concerned that the government might try to overreach if people don’t exercise their civic rights.

Sarah Fernandez said she was “angry” and “terrified” to be losing access to healthcare. “It’s going to affect you whether you are a man or woman, Republican or Democrat. These are health care issues and there may be unintended consequences because of these bills.”

Fernandez said she wanted to show her support to the community.

“I think that it’s important for people in Mansfield and the surrounding area to know that there are groups of us that are dedicated to protecting abortion access and to help women.”

Concern for mothers with risky pregnancies

An area nurse practitioner, who preferred not to be identified, called the situation “concerning,” referring to gray areas in Ohio’s abortion law. She mentioned a case with a patient who came in with an ectopic pregnancy who is currently in limbo because the doctors are unsure if it is legal to operate.

An ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus. These types of pregnancies can be fatal for the mother. Ohio’s abortion law does make an exception for a pregnancy when it is a “medical emergency.”

Cassie Kunkle, a mother of two, said the issue was personal. She had gone with a friend to get an abortion, before Ohio’s heartbeat bill passed. She said she sympathized with her friend for having to make a difficult decision. She added that she is fighting the abortion bill because if one of her daughters was in that situation, she said she’d want them to have a choice.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Abortion: Mansfield pro-choice protests Supreme Court ruling