Protestors gathered in Downtown Shreveport to speak out against SCOTUS abortion decision

Shreveport Times

On Friday, Shreveport residents rallied at the Caddo Parish Court House in a peaceful protest against the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade from the Supreme Court earlier today.

The ruling instantly shifted the decision of reproductive rights to the states after almost five decades of protection.

Louisiana's "trigger law" made abortion illegal immediately after today's ruling from the Supreme Court.

Nichole Duvall chants "Not the church, not the state, only we decide our fate" as she protests the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade at the Caddo Parish Courthouse in Shreveport Friday evening, June 24, 2022.

Protestors gathered outside of the Caddo Parish court house holding signs and chanting "not the church, not the state, only we decide our fate" as they marched around the court house with a police escort.

More about Roe v. Wade:Northwest Louisiana reacts the historic overturn of Roe v. Wade

Senate Bill 342 allows abortions for medical futility and ectopic pregnancies but excludes pregnancies formed from rape and incest. It exempts pregnant women from prosecution, but doctors and others who terminate a pregnancy could receive a maximum fine of $100,000 and 10 years in jail.

"My rights were taken away today," said Autumn, who asked not to reveal her last name. "So here we are. Things have been going down here for a while and we're going back in time. We're not murderers and it hurts."

Jenny McGuirk holds up a sign that reads "My Body My Choice" as she joins in on the protest of the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday evening, June 24, 2022 the Caddo Parish Courthouse in Shreveport.

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.