Abortion rights supporters rally in Harrisburg, across Pa. to protect Roe v. Wade

The event at the Pa. Capitol was part of a coordinated day of rallies across the state, nation

By: - October 2, 2021 2:55 pm

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 02: As the U.S. Capitol is seen in the background, a sign of the annual Women’s March is on display at Freedom Plaza October 2, 2021 in Washington, DC. The Women’s March and other groups organized marches across the country to protest the new abortion law in Texas. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Abortion rights supporters rallied in the thousands across the nation on Saturday to protest a draconian ban in Texas, and to show their support for Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared access to abortion a constitutional right.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a likely 2022 Democratic candidate for governor, and an avowed supporter of abortion rights, spoke at Saturday’s rally on the steps of the state Capitol, one of several held across the state on Saturday.

“Abortion is a woman’s right, and as long as I am serving the people of Pennsylvania, I will always protect that right,” Shapiro said on Twitter. “Today, I marched with many courageous women in Harrisburg to say: We will stand up. We will defend the law. We will respect women. We will win.”

In a Twitter thread, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, a former Planned Parenthood volunteer, who has vetoed a string of Republican-authored, anti-abortion bills, stressed his record in support of women’s healthcare, and reiterated his support for abortion access.

“While others focus on rolling back health care rights, my priority remains the health of Pennsylvania women and birthing people,” Wolf said, using the inclusive term to describe to people who can get pregnant. “We must expand access to quality health care services to lower the abysmal maternal mortality rate.”

 

The marches in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania came days after abortion rights opponents held a rally of their own on the Capitol steps. Republican state lawmakers who have vowed to ban, or severely restrict, a woman’s right to abortion were among the speakers.

Below is a sampling of social media reaction to the day’s events in Harrisburg, and across the commonwealth.

In Harrisburg:

 

In Philadelphia:

 

 

In Pittsburgh:

In Scranton:

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John L. Micek

A three-decade veteran of the news business, John L. Micek is the Pennsylvania Capital-Star's former Editor-in-Chief.

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