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‘Forced to have children:’ Rally in Orlando marks 1 year since US Supreme Court overturned Roe

Florida’s 6-week abortion ban pending legal challenge

ORLANDO, Fla. – At a packed rally Saturday morning, more than 100 people came out to Renaissance Theatre Company in Orlando to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade one year later.

“Women who are being forced to have children against their wishes, having to go across state lines, travel ridiculous distances, it’s unfair,” said Kathy McHugh, a Planned Parenthood volunteer. “I’m not going to stand for this. We aren’t going to stand for this. We’ve had enough of this. There is a war on women.”

This comes at the one-year mark since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, erasing the constitutional right to an abortion that had been in place for nearly half a century.

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Marnie Shanbhag was at Saturday’s rally.

“We can make the right decisions for us, our families, in consultation with our doctors. We really don’t need the government making that decision for us,” Shanbhag said.

In Florida, lawmakers passed a six-week abortion ban because they said it’s important to protect human life.

“I recognize their view, I don’t agree with it, I side with the baby,” said State Rep. Randy Fine, R-District 33, back in April.

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Saturday’s rally was organized in part by State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-District 42.

“Across America, bans on abortion are unpopular, bans on abortion are unamerican, bans on abortion are anti-freedom,” Eskamani said.

The six-week ban, which provides exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking, will take effect only if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the Florida Supreme Court.


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