PHOENIX — Chants like “pro-life is a lie, they don’t care if people die” could be heard being shouted outside of the State Capitol Saturday evening.
More than one hundred protesters were rallying and standing up for abortion rights.
“Not the church. Not the state. We will decide our fate,” said the crowd in attendance.
Jasmine Held-Hernandez told ABC15 the ruling from the Pima County judge that came down Friday was heartbreaking.
“Decisions like this are not only going to affect all women, but especially women from marginalized communities…women of color who don’t have the funds to travel,” said Held-Hernandez.
Isabella Menzel says the ruling is a setback for women’s rights.
“We’re lucky right now in a lot of other states it’s still very legal and accessible, but If this keeps on going the way it is…especially in other states, I’m afraid abortion rights are going to become illegalized,” Menzel told ABC15.
Friday, a Pima County judge lifted an injunction on a territorial-era law, banning all abortions — unless the mother’s life is in danger.
“We saw this coming, but it doesn't mean that we cannot continue to fight it," Menzel said.
Others in Arizona, like Dr. Erica Kreller, are celebrating the ruling.
“We were very excited. Just completely ecstatic,” she said.
Dr. Kreller was not at Saturday’s abortion the rally, but she is an obstetrician gynecologist in Gilbert and says this ruling is what she was hoping for.
“When we reduce the number of abortions being performed, that means more children, and that’s a wonderful thing for us and we want to make sure every women feels supported in that,” said Dr. Kreller.
While those we talked with Saturday have completely different opinions on the recent ruling, they can agree on one thing:
“It’s never over. I mean there are people who feel strongly on both sides of this issue,” said Dr. Kreller.
“I think this is far from over unless abortion is accessible, safely accessible for women and people with reproductive abilities,” Menzel told ABC15.
