Abortion advocates organize 'Save Roe' protest at Sarasota courthouse
Samantha Gholar
SARASOTA — Approximately 200 pro-choice supporters rallied at the Sarasota County Courthouse steps Tuesday afternoon following an emergency protest organized in response to the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion document that surfaced Monday night.
Participants heard from Planned Parenthood representatives before filling the intersection of Ringling Boulevard and U.S. 301 with chants of "My body, my choice" and "Stand up fight back" ringing through the area.
Demonstrators hoisted dozens of signs that called for the protection of reproductive rights in the state, while numerous drivers honked their horns during the rally.
Planned Parenthood CEO Stephanie Fraim says the event backed the organization's data concluding that a majority of Floridians want reproductive and abortion care to remain intact and legal.
“I’m sad; this is frustrating and it’s only the beginning,” Fraim said.
Fraim was joined by others including two former Sarasota mayors Fredd Atkins and current City Commissioner Hagen Brody — who both said they attended to support the pro-choice movement.
“This was an issue of my youth. The first year I registered to vote, this was the issue. Now here I am … and this is an issue all over again,” Atkins said.
Brody added, “A woman has the right to make her own reproductive choices. It’s that simple. These organizations are understandably anxious, nervous, frustrated.
“But to see such a visceral response to the Supreme Court potentially overturning Roe v. Wade gives me encouragement.”
Sarasota resident Shawn Bartelt expressed concern for the different socioeconomic groups that an overturning of the Roe Vs. Wade precedent would affect.
“What do those women do — poor people, women of color, marginalized people — they don’t have the money to travel for this healthcare. Affluent women will always have a way to resolve this issue; this really affects people who don’t have that same level of income,” Bartelt said.
The initial response from the reproductive health organization comes after nearly a year of local abortion ban discussions from neighboring Manatee County — one of the first counties in the state to place a local abortion ban on the county commission agenda for discussion.
Several other cities also organized protests across the state in hopes of amplifying abortion advocates' voices. Nearly a dozen demonstrations were scheduled simultaneously in Miami, Fort Myers, Naples, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Orlando, Broward County, St. Petersburg/Tampa, and Lakeland in Florida, alongside hundreds of protests nationwide.
Related:Explosive leaked draft in abortion case reveals Supreme Court on verge of overturning Roe
“Though it wasn’t a surprise, it’s still stunning to know that our Supreme Court would ignore 50 years of precedent and thousands of years of lived experience of people who get pregnant and need to make these decisions for themselves,” Fraim said ahead of the protest. “We are going to join together, raise our voices, and say ‘stop this nonsense’ to our elected officials.”
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Progress Florida, a nonprofit designed to support progressive movements in the Sunshine State, has rallied behind the statewide protests in hopes of expanding the reach of reproductive freedom education.
“We are part of a variety of actions and reactions to advance reproductive freedom,” said Reproductive Rights Program Director Amy Weintraub. “We are not going to stand by silently while these rights are stripped away. We will continue to support providers, patients, and abortion funds. We will continue to fight for reproductive freedom. ”
Samantha Gholar covers social justice news for the Herald-Tribune and USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at sgholar@gannett.com or on Twitter: @samanthagholar