St. Paul, MN – On January 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) held a rally for reproductive justice near the Minnesota State Capitol. Pro-abortion, pro-bodily autonomy activists and community members gathered to renew their commitment to fighting for true reproductive justice beyond Roe.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade represents a loss to the reproductive justice movement. MNAAC activists explained that Roe itself was never enough. Although some abortions were made legal by the passage of Roe, it still allowed for gestational age restrictions, waiting periods, disinformation counseling sessions, and other restrictions.

MNAAC member Kristen Bledsoe described that the high cost of healthcare in America itself presents a barrier. “[Roe] still allowed for people to pay exorbitant amounts for this essential health care,” Kristen Bledsoe explained, “[Roe] still allowed for employers to choose whether they wanted insurance plans to cover abortion care, and to choose whether they’d allow sick leave to cover their employees’ appointments and recovery times. Even before the Dobbs decision, there were endless roadblocks for so many people who were trying to access abortion.”

Other groups organizing to enhance abortion access were in attendance. Omi Ifemi, a director at Our Justice, the country’s oldest abortion fund, explained that “Roe was the floor and not the ceiling.” Our Justice provides direct financial and logistical support for people seeking abortion care.

Alissa Washington of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council of Minnesota stated, “This is where we move from listening to action. Fight for people locked away in cages, targeted by ICE, or arrested for protesting. Freedom that excludes the most vulnerable is not freedom at all.”

Hayley Peterson, a board member at Pro-Choice Minnesota said, “Bodily autonomy of course includes access to abortion, but it also includes the ability to go to shops, work, places of worship, and anywhere else without fear of abduction.” Other speakers detailed the reproductive health effects of chemical weapons used by police and ICE to control crowds and the ways that ICE routinely denies access to menstrual health products for detained people.

Zara Anderson, a member of MNAAC, declared that “when we say reproductive justice, we mean the right and ability to have a child, to not have a child, and to parent our children in safe and healthy communities. That’s why we’re fighting to defend and expand women’s and reproductive rights, including full abortion access for all, and that’s why we’re here to demand ICE out of Minnesota.”

Manny Pascual, an organizer with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and a nurse by trade, demanded an end to immigration raids and deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life.

Manny Pascual stated, “Reproductive justice and immigrant justice are connected. You can’t have bodily autonomy if people cannot walk into a hospital without fear. You cannot talk about choice if people are hunted for who they are or where they come from. A world where women and queer people are free must be a world where all bodies and people are respected.”

MNAAC is a grassroots, all-volunteer reproductive justice organization that fights for reproductive and trans rights including abortion access, bodily autonomy, and gender-affirming care. Originally formed as a coalition of groups after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, MNAAC maintains that any attempts to limit, ban, or prevent access to abortions are fundamentally attacks on bodily autonomy.

MNAAC organizes to disrupt groups like Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, which claims to be “Minnesota’s largest pro-life organization.” Historically, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life has taken January 22nd as a “day of mourning” due to the passage of Roe v. Wade. MNAAC reclaimed this day as a day of action and renewed commitment to fight for reproductive justice and bodily autonomy for all.

MNAAC continues to organize around abortion access, trans liberation and bodily autonomy for all, including incarcerated people and immigrants. Their next action is planned for March 8, International Women’s Day, where they will take to the streets to demand women’s and reproductive rights. You can follow MNAAC’s work on Instagram and Facebook.

Dan Michael Fielding is a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC).

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