DENVER (KDVR) — Hundreds gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday evening rallying for abortion rights.
This comes after a bombshell leak of a Supreme Court draft that would strike down Roe v. Wade. That legislative decision gives women the right to have an abortion and has for the last 50 years, but if overturned, individual states will make the decision.
Protests and rallies have erupted across the nation, and Colorado is no exception. Car honks, speeches, chants of “we will fight back” and handmade signs filled the Capitol grounds on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Some signs read, “My body, my choice'” and “Your right to abortion shouldn’t depend on your zip code.” A majority of those in attendance told FOX31 they showed up to protect a woman’s fundamental right.
“I’m horrified by the leak. It’s frightening,” said Raequel Rhodes. “I’m here to support the next generation of women. They have every right to choose what to do with their bodies.”
Rhodes went to the Capitol with Taryn Todd, and for both, the fight was personal.
”This is absolutely terrifying to me,” Todd said. “I have two teenage stepdaughters, and I want them to have just as much rights as I had when I was their age.”
The debate over abortion has been a contentious one for decades. Polls have shown few Americans want Roe overturned, but opinions on abortion vary widely.
On Tuesday evening, people who were anti-abortion were also in attendance as a few men held signs near the state Capitol, like Dominic Enyart. He wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned and does not believe in abortion.
“We’re out here trying to expose the sin of abortion,” said Enyart. “I would like to see all abortion abolished across the entire United States of America, no exceptions!”
Even in Colorado, abortion care could see impacts
Although a final ruling has not been made, if the leaked opinion comes to fruition, individual states would have the right to decide on abortion laws. Some states are ready to ban abortion altogether and some want to create tighter terms.
For now, Colorado women are protected. Gov. Jared Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equity Act last month, guaranteeing women the right to an abortion at any point in the pregnancy. But with that, Colorado could become a haven for abortions, as people cross state lines for the procedure, which Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains says it’s already seeing with Texas banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
State Rep. Yadira Caraveo is a pediatrician as well and helped pass the Colorado bill. She said it will impact all women.
“Even in states like ours, the wait may get longer because we are going to be a haven for so many patients,” Caraveo said. “If the waits increase, if we don’t have enough providers, then that’s going to affect health for a lot of women.”
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