“Bans Off Our Bodies” demonstrations held along the coast
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara residents and local partners took to the De La Guerra Plaza to rally for Planned Parenthood's "Bans Off Our Bodies" day of action protests on Saturday, May 14.
Planned Parenthood California Central Coast and other partners organized rallies in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties as a part of a nationwide response after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion revealed the court soon plans to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The organization said that on Saturday, abortion rights supporters on the central coast and nationwide will gather for a "Bans Off Our Bodies" day of action in support of abortion access and reproductive freedom.
At reach rally, organizers said there will be a brief speaker program with representatives from Planned Parenthood, elected officials, and faith and community leaders.
CEO of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, Jenna Tosh, released the following statement about Saturday's day of action:
"The shocking Supreme Court draft decision confirmed what we have long feared: The right to safe, legal abortion in this country will soon be a thing of the past.
Everyone deserves access to abortion, no matter where they live, and everyone should be able to make their own personal medical decisions.
The politicians who want to take away our freedom to control our lives and our futures will see that we aren’t intimidated, and we aren’t backing down.
That’s why we’re rallying on May 14 to say bans off our bodies."
Jenna Tosh, Ph.D.
Joining Saturday's rally is the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara.
"Organized by Planned Parenthood of California Central Coast, this is part of a nationwide event that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of protesters," said the League.
The rallies will be "a demonstration of our collective outrage on the attacks on abortion nationwide and call for an end to abortion bans," said Planned Parenthood. "No abortion bans, PERIOD."
For more information on Planned Parenthood, click here to visit the organization's website.
For Santa Barbara's Planned Parenthood website, click here.
