WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — More than 100 people gathered in front of Winston-Salem City Hall Saturday for a reproductive rights rally, in solidarity with hundreds of others happening on Saturday around the country for the 2021 Women's March in Washington D.C.
"We are witnessing the most dire threat to abortion access in our lifetime," the Women's March Network wrote on its website, referring to the Supreme Court's recent refusal to block Texas' 6-week abortion ban.
Nicole Hensel was the organizer of Saturday's march in Winston-Salem, telling WFMY News 2 that about 130 people attended the event.
"This was part of the nationwide marches, but our individual protest wasn’t just about women because women aren’t the only ones affected by these abortion bans," Hensel told WFMY News 2. "We chose to use the term 'Reproductive Rights' because it allows us to include those who are affected who don’t identify as women."
Speakers at Saturday's rally included Mackenzie Cates-Allen, founder of the Winston Salem Ambassadors, Ronda J Mays of the Women of Action Group, and Dan Besse, candidate for Forsyth County Commissioner, according to Hensel.
Photos and videos of the rally show a crowd holding signs with messages including "Abortion Access For All," "My Body, My Choice," and "Girls just wanna have fundamental rights."
In a speech, Hensel stated that the purpose of the march was to show legislators that the group would not be compliant with the recent abortion law passed in Texas, as well as disputes over a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on December 1.
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