Just hours after the release of the Supreme Court decision which overturned Roe v. Wade and decimated more than 50 years of precedent, hundreds of people gathered at the Champaign County Courthouse to protest. The Party of Socialism and Liberation Champaign-Urbana hosted the emergency protest at Thursday evening. Several speakers from the organization roused the crowd with speeches ranging from personal experiences to raising energy with catchy chants before taking to the streets.
Photo by Brandi MV McCoy.
The march began at Main and Broadway, heading west toward Lincoln where it turned south and then east on Green Street back towards the courthouse. Protesters held their hand-made or pre-printed signs as they chanted in advocacy of a person’s right to bodily autonomy.
Photo by Brandi MV McCoy.
The surrounding community engaged as well by honking their car horns in support and stepping out of their homes to join in chants of dissent. The crowd met back at the courthouse where speakers with PSL CU rallied for a revolution to defend our rights and freedoms.
While Illinois is a state that currently protects access to abortion, that access isn’t as wide as you might think. Here is more information about abortion in C-U and beyond:
Resources:
- ACLU’s Know Your Rights: Abortion in Illinois
- Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
- McKinley Health Center: “Pregnancy: A Guide to Decision Making”
Find an abortion provider:
If you’d like to donate to support abortion access in the Midwest, the Midwest Access Coalition is a good place to start.