Hundreds rally on U of M campus in Minneapolis to support Roe v. Wade
Demonstrations in support of abortion rights continued for a second day Wednesday following a leak from the U.S. Supreme Court indicating that at least five justices appear ready to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Rebecca Pirko was among the hundreds of people who attended a rally at the University of Minnesota.
"It wouldn't impact just abortion. It's like an umbrella. We would be impacting areas with pregnancy, we'd be impacting areas within marriage. Equality in general is so much less attainable for us to flourish as a society if women are still being put down,” she said.
Pirko, 20, is a student at the U of M and said she fears that reversing the precedent would affect many other rights for women.
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Although not a U of M student, 21-year-old Annabelle Epstein was among the crowd that gathered outside the university’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
"It disappoints me that Roe v. Wade could potentially be overturned. It affects a lot of people. I feel like the whole reason it was passed was so that people could get health care in a safe and reliable way, especially people who are already at a disadvantage,” Epstein said.
The crowd of mostly young people chanted and listened to speakers before marching to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office nearby.
Opponents of abortion rights say they're welcoming the possible decision with cautious optimism.
Even if the high court overturns Roe, abortion would remain legal in Minnesota under a state supreme court decision from 1995.