LEBANON, Ohio — To mark one year since a controversial ordinance banning abortions in the city of Lebanon, activists and city leaders planned competing events to voice their support and protests.

In May 2021, Lebanon’s city council passed an ordinance, making it illegal to provide an abortion, aid in an abortion or provide transportation for one within city limits. The Warren County community was the first in Ohio to institute such a ban. 

ACLU Ohio sued challenging the ban earlier this month. There were no and remain no abortion providers within the city limits. 

Abortion rights activists rallied in downtown Lebanon voicing their opposition to the ban Tuesday at 6 p.m. 

Leslie Nahigyan, a nurse who said she’s lived in Lebanon for 18 years, helped organize the rally. She said the ordinance passed with little input from locals and is far too overreaching for a city. 

“This piece of legislation criminalizes the aiding and abetting of a pregnant person so somebody who is a bit of crisis wondering whether or not they want to give birth to a child can’t even turn to their family without fear of repercussions from them,” she said.

Protesters also said laws like it scare people away from Lebanon and paint the community as backwards and unwelcoming.

Vice Mayor Adam Mathews disagreed, citing the city’s growth over the past year. 

“We have a brand new development come in where the developer thanked us for being pro-life pro-family because this is a great place to live, work and play,” he said.

Mathews had his own event at 7 p.m. reading a proclamation declaring May 25, “Pro-Life Day” in Lebanon and helped plan a diaper drive for the day. He believes the ordinance shows the city is committed to its conservative values and supports families. 

Mathews was a part of the unanimous council vote to support the original ordinance. Since it passed, he said voters have reelected all the councilors who support the ban.

The neighboring city of Mason instituted a similar ban shortly afterward and overturned it shortly after voters in the Nov. 2021 election ousted two members who had supported the ban.