Austin, TX – In the middle of thunderstorms and a tornado watch, around 200 people gathered in central Austin, May 5, for a march and rally for abortion rights called by U.T. Austin student groups, Students for a Democratic Society and the Feminist Action Project. The organizations called the protest in response to the draft opinion that suggests the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.

The crowd marched from U.T. Tower to the Capitol building, chanting “My body, my choice!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, the heartbeat bills have got to go!”

As the protestors arrived at the Capitol, a program of several speakers from local organizations followed. Speeches highlighted the need to stay organized and continue fighting for women’s and reproductive rights. Many speakers also pointed out the economic impacts of abortion bans, as many poor and working class women do not have the resources to travel out of state to get an abortion.

Speaking about the importance of sustained mass protest, Victoria Mycue said: “We know that we cannot continue on like this, and we know that we have to put a stop to this. I am so excited that we in our masses are rising up against it! How do we know that we the people can be successful in this fight? We have the answer right here, all around us. The answer is us.”

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