MOBILE, Ala. — As many marked Independence Day with cookouts and fireworks, a group of Mobile residents used the holiday to protest the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The gathering was one of eight ‘Rally for Our Rights’ events held across Alabama on July 4 under the banner of the Alabama Rally Against Injustice. In Mobile, demonstrators assembled at the federal courthouse.
‘We’re here to cancel Independence Day because women in America today, with recent decisions of Roe v. Wade, we are not free,’ said Kalla Etheredge, one of the organizers.
Alabama’s new abortion law took effect June 24, the same day the high court struck down the federal right to abortion. Participant Robert Faust said any society that values liberty must respect a person’s autonomy over their own body.
For some, the motivation was personal. Lauren Starr, who attended with her young son, said the cause is about more than abortion. ‘It’s also about saving the lives that already exist,’ she said.
Organizers said local demonstrations will continue as they press elected officials on the issue.