NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A sea of demonstrators gathered at the State Capitol Saturday afternoon before taking their message to the streets of Nashville.
“We’re here to support abortion justice. We’re rallying for the right to safe, legal abortion,” said Francie Hunt, the Executive Director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood. “We think that pregnant people need to be the ones making those decisions along with their family, faith, and their physician and not up to government.”
The rally comes after the recent passage of a new law in Texas banning most abortions.
“That’s what’s at danger," said Hunt. "It was very scary to see that the Supreme Court turned its back on 50 years of precedent.”
Demonstrators worry Tennessee could be next.
“Up unto this point it has been recognized as settled law. So that’s why we’re here today, is to raise our voice and let folks know that we’re not going to let that stand, we’re not going down without fighting,” said Hunt.
“They shouldn't have a right to any of that kind of stuff to begin with," said Gracen Kelly who attended the event. "Like, it’s my uterus- get out of it”. Her friend Sam Haull added, “if I had a tumor would you tell me ‘no you can’t remove it’? No.”
As part of the march, demonstrators stopped outside the AT&T building calling upon the company to stop supporting politicians who vote for abortion bans. Instead, they say the money should be used in other ways.
“Instead... they can match those dollars of what they’ve given in Texas to pro-reproductive health care organizations, they can give to advocacy organizations such as Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood,” said Hunt. Demonstrators also want the company to offer its employees access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
“We have the power as everyday people to control our own lives, our own direction and absolutely our own bodies,” said Hunt.
The march continued through downtown, ending at the Estes Kefauver Federal Building & Courthouse.
We reached out to AT&T for comment but have not yet heard back.
