CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hundreds of people gathered in Charlotte's Freedom Park on Mother's Day in support of abortion rights following a leak of the Supreme Court's majority draft opinion in favor of striking down Roe v. Wade that sent Congress into scramble mode.
The issue is inflaming passions on both sides. There have been rallies in support of and against the Supreme Court's potential decision.
“Our community is desperate for our freedoms," Hope Robertson, the leader of Reproductive Rights Coalition Charlotte, said.
Freedom of choice was at the forefront Sunday.
Leaders from the Reproductive Rights Coalition, Charlotte for Choice and the Black Abortion Defense League organized the protest calling for safe and legal abortion access. Several women spoke about how they or someone they knew decided to have an abortion.
“If we don’t start here with women’s rights, with the rights to abortion that affect people of color, women, transgender people, mostly poverty-stricken women," Robertson said. "Because the wealthy will always be able to afford a safe abortion," Robertson said.
On the other side, abortion restrictions have been sought by conservatives for decades. New data from the Pew Research Center shows nearly 40% of Americans want abortion to be "mostly" illegal.
If Roe v. Wade is invalidated by the Supreme Court, the right to have an abortion in North Carolina will likely be banned or extremely restricted, according to experts.
North Carolina already has several restrictions in place before women can get an abortion. The state also has an unenforced ban on most abortions past 20 weeks. If Roe v. Wade disappears, that law could be enforced.
There's also concern that many other landmark decisions, like birth control or same-sex marriage, will be at risk. At Sunday's rally, many speakers encouraged people to get out and vote.
Another rally, dubbed the "Rally for Roe," was held near the Cabarrus Courthouse on Sunday. The Young Democrats of Cabarrus-Rowan shared some photos from the event to WCNC Charlotte.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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